Hospital Jello
by QoD-Dev
Summary: Zim, nurse in training and alien invader is forced to care for the most annoying and stuborn humans in existance all the while gathering information for the Tallest to use in the coming invasion but will said annoying human foil all of Zim's plans?AU ZaDR
1. Chapter 1

-insane cackle- That's right, your Smallest amd Mec are back and we're better than ever! This idea came from Smallest this time though, and I had to rp it with her. HAD TO!

Anyway, we worked really hard on this one and hope it's a little less insane and confuseing than our last two stories.

ENJOY AND REVIEW PLZKTHX!

Summery: Zim, nurse in training and alien invader is forced to take care of one of the most annoying and hard-headed humans in existance, all the while gathering information for the Tallest Miyuki to use in the upcoming invasion of Earth, but a certain annoying, hard-headed human seems to be getting in the way.

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A scowl crossed the face of the green skinned youth as he walked the halls of the community hospital with his trainer while tuning out a good part of what she said to think on how ugly the color white was. So blindingly boring and easily stained, which is why he wore dark red colored nursing outfits which contrasted neatly with his skin though often tempted people to make Christmas jokes.Whatever Christmas was.He turned back in about the time the nurse he was training under ONCE AGAIN warned him that he was only there as a student in training and was under no circumstances alowed to administer any sort of drugs to patients._'So basically I'm going to be playing maid to a bunch of germy sick people.'_ He wanted to complain but thought better of it. He was here to do a job and if playing maid was how he was going to do it then play maid he would.Anything to please The Almighty Tallest, add yet another territory to the Irken Empire, and to go down in history as the greatest irken invader that ever lived.The green child scowled once more._'Except touch old human.'_

The nurse who was assigned to training the shorter male continued her way through the halls, leading him past doors stained with puke or some other unknown liquid."And, I just don't get humans at all," She stated her mind quite openly. "I mean, I hate people. I don't even qualify myself as a human because, you know, I just hate people that much!" She rambled on, unaware of whom exactly she was rambling to.Her short, obviously dyed blunt red hair accented her pale face, full painted red lips and black uniform well. She was plump, and looked like she was in her late twenties with rings all along the rim of her ears, and a stud stamped in a nostril of hers. Her nametag rested over a pocket of her nurse's uniform, and was barely readable thanks to all of the scratches that had been put there due to unfortunate events. It said "Julie"."Okay! This is the place!" She sang eyes thick in eyeliner half drooped to allow her to give a lazy grin at a door. She placed a hand on the door and grinned back at the shorter male. "If you need any help, just call the front desk, and we'll be on our way." She smiled at him before walking off without another word from her very chatty mouth.

The green child felt that woman was deserved of one of his signature scowls, which he gave her, before walking into the room, looking down at his clip board which had the only sheet of paper he was given for notes clipped to it, telling him to be nice. "Oooooo...k." He said, scratching the back of his head and looking up at the patient he was to be taking care of, the antennae which poked out of the top of his black wig twitched a bit, giving the room a sort of scan for viruses or germs which could be deadly to his foreign immune system. When they found none he walked in fully and shut the door behind him."My name is Zim." He announced to the human in the bed. "And you will have the pleasure of having the mighty Zim take care of you today. Lucky you!"

A lump under the white covers and blanket stirred. There poked out a pale white face with messy black hair going every which way on a young teen's head. He sat up straight on the bed, hands to his sides and his eyes squinting tight. He reached over to the side table and fumbled his hand around until he found his glasses resting on top of a new notebook. He settled the glasses on the bridge of his nose and peered out to this 'mighty Zim'.His eyes traced the green kid's antennae and green skin, followed by his weird eye shapes and short size. Just what was a kid younger than himself doing being his nurse?The pale face that seemed to glow like the moon glared back at Zim, his eyes full of hatred and spite. Oh yes. He knew why this 'Zim' must be here, and it was probably by no means to help _him._

Zim glared right back, antennae going back a little in anger. How DARE he give Zim that look, ungrateful brat?'BE NICE!' The paper yelled at him. So, with a frustrated sigh he moved over to the human's bed side, pulling up a chair on wheels just in case he felt like sitting later."Now then," He said in a very authoritative tone. "I have been instructed to care for you until you are all better and out of this germy-germ ridden hospital and I would like to do a good job. How may I be of service to help?"

The boy's glare never lessened, although he did prop up a brow at his strange sentence structure. That was to be expected, he guessed, from some green kid with antennae poking past his hair from his head.He looked unamused, and showed so by folding his arms in response.

Zim pouted angrily and crossed his arms in mimicry.This being nice thing was harder than it looked. How can one be nice to someone who didn't want your help!?"Come on!" Zim shouted, throwing his hands up into the air. "What!? Are you hungry!? Do you need food!? Is it my skin!? It's just a skin condition it won't hurt you!"

The white skinned child gave a doubtful look Zim's way, and, still in refusal to talk to the green kid, he slipped back down into a sleeping position on the bed, turned his back on Zim, and pulled the cover over his head.That would show him!

Zim gave the pale kid a scowl to end all scowls, almost hitting him with his clip board but somehow managing to restrain himself._'Oh when this planet is conquered you will be the FIRST to go!'_ He yelled in his head at the human, wishing he could do so out loud but making do with throwing one of the extra pillows at a cabinet.He looked at his clip board once more, hoping there would be something there on unresponsive patients but still all that was there was, "Be Nice!"

After a few seconds, the young teen rolled in his bed, facing his enemy now. His tired eyes, seeing how he actually was tired, glared at him in a half lidded state. Soon those stunning burnt-honey colored eyes found the pillow that had been thrown. That didn't last long however, and he brought his glance back to Zim. In a moment after, deciding that this quiet was sweet, he simply just took off his glasses once more, folded them nicely, and placed it back on his notebook before retrieving his arm and covering the blanket over his head half way now.

Zim just grumbled a few things under his breath and placed his clip board down, tapping his claws over it for a bit before becoming bored with just doing that.So he paced the room for a few minutes before growing bored of that, to which he remedied by sitting down in the rolling chair by Dib's bed but that grew boring in less time than the tapping.He sighed loudly before getting up, saying, "I need to go check with my trainer, just page someone if you are in need of things." With that taken care of he left the room to find his trainer.

Julie was doing exactly what a Julie does. A mechanical device known as a cell phone which had many a dangly thing swinging from side to side off of its antennae bounced and bumped into the soft cheek of the plump nurse while she walked and talked in a circular fashion in the main nurse's break room."Yeah, I know her cat is small. That's what I'm trying to say. Yeah, yeah ... But that's when her baby hit it. - It was the baby's fault!" Her eyes rolled up and she stifled a laugh. The whole nurse's room of four people, not including herself, glared up at her in hatred. "Yeah- I know."Her dark eyes soon fixed themselves on the green boy in the red nurse's suit at the door. She turned the phone to the side so to not bother her friend as she spoke in a firm voice towards the door. "What?"

Zim peeked from behind the door, eyeing the woman and her evil phone as well as everyone else around her."Just what am I supposed to do if the patient doesn't need anything?" He asked in a voice that displayed the frustration he had gone through in the last half hour of trying to get the pale kid to communicate with him.

The woman made a croaking noise from her throat in thought and she looked up at the wall as if it had an answer. "I don't know. Find something. Talk to them, or, like, I don't know. Play a game with them; introduce a hobby to them. A lot of patients get bored here." She answered back to Zim before bringing her attention back to her friend on the other side of the phone, quickly starting a conversation about the relation a cat has with demons.

Zim glared at the Julie-beast before slowly closing the door and walking back to the pale kid's room, just wishing he'd brought a book or something with him so he didn't actually have to interact with the pale human he was being forced to take care of on weekends and every day after school.Making his way back to the room and he kicked at something invisible, glaring at every little thing that caught his eye until he spotted something on a chair outside of one of the rooms.Slowly he approached the object, finding it to be a deck of playing cards. Ah yes, playing cards. He remembered a group of kids hanging out in the front of the school and at lunch before class started playing with cards similar to this. The rules seemed fairly simple from what he'd observed before. With a wide grin he picked the cards up and slipped them in his pocket, ignoring the fact they may belong to someone and making his way triumphantly back to the pale kids room.

The boy in the white bed breathed lightly and continuously on his side, eyes softly closed. His hands that were curled just slightly near his face twitched every two to three seconds. His black wispy hair lay looking as soft as feathers against the pillow his rather large head was on. His body made a rounded sideways 'Z' under his blanket. Even if the kid was a jerk, he still looked as sweet as a dying smeet as he slept.

'Irk I wish I'd brought a book.' Zim thought with a sigh, deciding to play a card game with himself as he sat down in the wheelie chair and shuffled the cards like he'd seen the other boys do at skool with all the useless twists and turns that he figured had nothing to do with the actual shuffling but looked cool none-the less.

The boy readjusted himself on the bed a little. His brows knitted themselves together now whenever his hand would squeeze nothing but air. He stirred more in his sleep, ever once in a while, catching the attention of the little green nurse.

Zim took a look at his watch.An hour. He had been sitting still for an hour, shuffling cards.With a frustrated sigh he got up and leaned over the human sleeping, seeming to consider him for a moment before poking him in the face with a claw.Poke.Poke.Poke.Poke...

A hand swatted the offending claw away and bright burnt-orange eyes snapped open. The boy quickly got up to a sitting position, snatched up his glasses and gave a horrid warning glare at the nurse he felt was so evil. His eyes went down to the cards in the nurse's claws, and then back up to his face. He seemed to have been greatly offended for being woken up, even if he was having a nightmare.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." Zim warned, holding up the deck of cards like a grand idol. "I have come to relieve to boredom that must be gripping your fragile mind."

The pale boy rolled his orange and white eyes and folded his arms. Still, though, he looked at the cards, a small since of hunger coming to his face for some interaction, however much he'd detest it so for the fact of whom he'd have to play with. Nobody ever visited him, so it's not like he could ever interact with others anyway, but the thought of interacting... even with this green nurse that was obviously some sort of alien here to take over the world or something... seemed so... _inviting._The boy glared at Zim's antennae, and while puffing out his cheeks, held out a hand and turned his head to show, yes he will play, but no, he won't enjoy it.

"Finally," Zim sighed, pulling up the small table to play on.He shuffled the cards a little bit more, before placing them on the table for the boy to cut."I only know a couple of games soooo... Rummy?" Zim asked, going over the rules in his head a few moments before nodding to himself.

The boy blinked slowly before he set one half of the cards on top of the other half for Zim to take. His expression was dull and emotionless, if not a little upset. He chose very well not to answer the green nurse.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Zim announced before dealing the cards, placing the rest of the deck on the table between them and flipping the top card over and placing it next to the deck to begin the game.

The pale boy stared at the flipped card before staring back at Zim. His blank, upset expression seemed to begin irking the alien just a little bit. He made no motion to do anything at all. In fact, he seemed very still.

"What, do you want me to go first or something?" Zim asked, glaring at the human with every ounce of frustration backing his stare as the boy was giving him.

The white boy frowned for a few seconds before bringing his head down and back up, for just a single nod of 'Yes'.

"Fine," Zim rolled his eyes, biting back a few choice words for the teen before picking a card up off the top of the deck and putting it in his hand. He gave all the cards a quick look over, humming in thought before placing down three sevens and discarding a King to end his turn.

His eyes flickered down at the cards in his hands. The strange, shorter green kid in the nurse's outfit had given him seven cards. He stared at the two aces his thumb was holding and then to the king Zim had put down. His forehead wrinkled in frustration and he looked back to the green person in front of him who was sitting on the other side of the table. His black hair whipped this way and that on his green head, but those antennae... That's what caught the pale boy's attention the most whenever he saw the other.

"Look, can you just pick up a card already?" Zim asked after ten full minutes, crossing his arms, his antennae twitching annoyed. "It's really not that hard."

The boy frowned, glaring at the antennae as they twitched. He let his hand hover over the deck, and he drew a card, looking at it intensely. It was a six of spades. He then stared back at Zim like he was finished.

"Are you done?" Zim asked, resting an elbow on the table and his chin in his hand.

The boy continued his stare at the other, not even bothering to shrug. This was a rather stupid game, after all. His fingers traced the texture of the cards. What was the point, after all, in just drawing and putting down paper?

"You have no idea how to play this game do you?" Zim asked, putting his cards down in a more than annoyed fashion.

The young teen followed Zim's lead and put down his own cards, scooting back now in slight embarrassment. He folded his arms and forced his head to the side to stare at a blank wall with a lone painting on it. How dare this 'Zim' call him out on this!

Zim was ready to pull his antennae out. How annoying could one human possibly be!? He was trying his best gosh darn it!"If you didn't know how to play you should have said something." He said in a whiney sort of annoyed voice.

The pale boy continued his unresponsive glare to the wall. His slight blush contrasting greatly against his pale cheeks never escaping his face, however more irritated the boy looked now.

Zim stared at the pale boy hard, trying to will him to look back at himself but when the human didn't he sighed and said, "Whatever, I give up, just, you know, let me know if you need anything." With that he get off the bed and sat himself back down in the chair he'd recently claimed as his own.

The boy sat there twiddling his fingers together as he stared at the wall. It grew boring. So very boring. He whipped his head to face Zim, his hair flying up in the turn in the process. With a determined scowl on his face, he pulled his blanket off of his naked legs barely covered by his hospital gown as he pulled them off of the bed and hopped off. He hadn't stood for days, and it was apparent in his wobble.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zim asked as he stood up as well.

White arms went up to catch his balance as his ankle twisted this way and that. He took hold of the bed to keep his balance as he walked down to the end of it in a line, leaning towards the cushion the whole time. He glared up at the green nurse he was closing in on. He let go of the bed and took an awkward step closer towards him before gripping the back post of the bed again.

Zim put his hands on his hips and stared at his patient curiously, his head tilting to one side some.

The patient stared down at the shorter boy and continued his glare. Out reached his five-fingered hand to quickly capture an antenna that had been on his mind this whole time, giving it a small yank.

Zim gasped loudly and gave a tiny 'eep' his hands darting up quickly to try and save the poor stalk from the human's cold grip.

The boy grinned and let go of the bed post with his other hand and proceeded yanking the other antennae as well. He felt so right, so victorious. It was more reason to hate this nurse.

"Damn it! LEGGO!" Zim yelled, his green hands around the human's pale peachy wrists, trying to tug the appendages off his antennae.

The young teen did as he was commanded and let loose the grasp he had on the stocks just to smirk at Zim.

"What the hell was that for?" Zim asked, taking a few good steps backwards to a safe distance.

The human wobbled but caught himself on the bed, just continuing his victorious smirk. Now, now he was SURE. This Zim WAS an alien here to take over the world. Nobody would deny that. He took a few steps back, still leaning against the bed and watching Zim carefully with that smug look.

Zim continued on for the rest of the day, being careful not to go near the human unless he absolutely had to, like when he brought the human lunch, then dinner. Other than that he kept clear to the other side of the room.He almost celebrated when it was time to leave.

"Oh, hey!" Julie called out to Zim as he entered the nurse's break room the next day. She tied her short red hair back into a ponytail as she lounged back in her chair. Does this 'Julie' do anything other than nothing?"Your patient told me he doesn't like you." She smirked, tightening her hair in the small band. "Be nicer."

"Maybe I would be if he was yanking on things." Zim growled, plopping himself down in a chair, smoothing his antennae back as if they had once more been offended.

The woman shrugged and picked up a carrot from her tray. It was a lazy Sunday as always for the girl. "So, how's high-school for you?" She pondered on a thought for a bit, taking a bite of the carrot she was holding. "I mean, you look like you should be in kindergarten- how the heck are you getting by in a high school?"

"It's going just fine, thanks for asking." Zim said, the tone in his voice clearly saying he wasn't at all thankful.

Julie finished her carrot and stared at Zim a moment longer. "So I take it, nothing is going well at all?" A knowing smile traced her lips full of red lipstick.

"I don't see how it's really any of your business." Zim grumbled under his breath. "I'm making good grades, I'm not one of the loser targets of the skool bully, and I manage to keep to myself. I think I'm doing pretty ok."

"You have no friends." Julie spoke her words full of poison that were made to eat Zim up the more he sat and thought on it. "You can't have any friends, can you?" She stood up and took her tray by its sides. "But, whatever. I'm going back to work. Remember, Zim, if you need any help..." Her voice trailed as she threw away her food and without giving much time, left the room.

Zim 'hmph'ed as he stood up and went to get to work himself, hefting his book bag full of stuff to do while the stupid human was pouting and sulking._'I can have any friend I want.'_ He thought bitterly at Julie. _'Anyone would be h__onored to be the friend of Zim_

That didn't seem to be the case when Zim opened the door to the room he was designated to, all he received was a glare from the boy in bed holding his note book out in his lap with a pen in hand. So it begins again.

Zim glared right back as he walked inside the room and put his book bag on the counter and said, "Look, we don't like each other, that much is clear, but I have a job to do and you need to get better and I think you cutting the tantrum act will help both of us greatly."

The boy glared deeper with hatred and began to mark words down harshly in his notebook, as if ignoring the green person entirely.

Zim just groaned and got some homework he had to make up out of his bag and sat down with it, struggling a little with the frustration of having one annoying, pale faced pig smelly in the same room with him.

After fifteen minutes of writing, finally signing his name on the paper, the pale child held the note book up high over head, proud of himself before smirking and setting it aside and stretching. He looked over at the green other doing his homework. He seemed... different today. He stared, studying the other, and finally, he knew what it was! He glared deeper at the nurse.

"What!?" Zim asked finally, unable to take the human's looks anymore. "What... do you want!?"

The boy lowered his head and glared some more. It was obvious. The conniving little alien was GROWING! He was two inches taller today than he was when they had met! He folded his arms in another defensive yet expressive pose.

When met with no answer Zim growled, almost crying out in frustration before slumping back in his seat and getting back to his homework, shooting a glare at Dib every once in a while.

The boy glared at the other for what seemed like an hour, but was really just five minutes. Much like yesterday, he removed the blankets from himself and weakly got out of the bed to walk closer to the end in a strange wobble.

Zim instinctually scooted back in his chair away from Dib, not wanting a repeat of the day before.

Orange eyes glared at Zim for a moment longer until he let go of the bed, walking astray with nothing to hold onto towards the background. He tripped a few times and had to catch himself once more on his way over.

"Where are you going, hu- uh, you!?" Zim asked, standing up in his chair, somehow feeling only MORE insecure that the human wasn't coming after him.

The young teen made a point to not pay Zim any mind as he took three more crooked steps forwards, arms outstretched to keep him steady.

Zim walked over to the human and asked again, "Where is it you're going? If you need something it's my job to get it for you, you know?"

The boy stumbled and took hold of Zim in reflex, leaning against him and tightly holding onto his shoulder to keep from falling, his eyes wide. He looked down to the one keeping him standing, and a small blush arose. He didn't want to show any dependency to this _alien _that he was touching, and so quickly he pushed himself back up and tried to regain balance and deciding if he should let go or not.

"Are you in here for brain damage?" Zim asked, one eye narrowing in suspicion as he put his arms on the human's shoulders to help keep him up right.

The pale face went more red and he tried to pull from Zim, tugging towards the direction of the restroom.He didn't need any help. He didn't before, and he doesn't now; not to go to the restroom at least.

"Restroom?" Zim asked, looking curiously at the door before turning to glare at the human and saying, "You really should learn to ask for help you know." He let the boy go, making sure he was steady first before pulling his hands completely away.

The patient scowled at his nurse before wobbling his way over to the door to his restroom, making sure to slam the door the best he could behind him.Now was the bad part.

Zim crossed his arms.What a rude, ungrateful little BRAT! What the hell did he have to do to prove he could help him!?

A minute went by.A red sign above the bathroom door lit up in red and a small buzzing noise sounded the room- one that would also sound on several other nurses' pager, including Zim's. Zim's training the previous week had let him know just what had happened.

Zim rushed over to the bathroom door, hesitating a moment at the thought of all the germs that must be in there before he shook himself out of it and opened the door, asking, "What's wrong, what happened?" as he went over to the human's side.

Said human breathed harshly, violently, his eyes darting all around from his position on the ground. His face was no longer pale white but a flush red and his forehead was just radiating heat. His arms were held close to his body and his legs were astray. The toilet's contents displayed the food the boy had previously eaten this morning. A sure sign he threw up.

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OH NOEZ POOR HUMAN! 

I hope he'll be ok!

Zim: Me

Pale Pig-Smelleh: TSI


	2. Chapter 2

YAY CHAPTER TWO! Ok, me and TSI now have a pretty good system of updating for THIS story since I did most of the cleaning already and there's no waiting. Every monday and friday we will upload a chapter, because what beeter wasy to start and end the week than with a chapter of Hospital Jello right!? XD

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Zim grabbed a napkin from the sink and turned the water on, putting the cloth in the liquid, burning his hand in the cold stream of water, causing him to flinch back and his in pain.Quickly though, NOT wanting to lose this job he pulled some rubber gloves from his pockets and snapped them on before going back to what he was doing, grabbing the cloth, wetting it, and kneeling by the human to put it on his forehead, wondering where Julie was, or better yet, a different nurse, hoping one would come soon as he was told a million times not to leave a patient unattended or to move them when they're ill.One of the rules he's end up breaking if someone didn't get there NOW!

"What happened?" Julie asked as she ran in, and went onto the other side of the patient in the cramped room. She quickly gathered what was happening. With a heavy sigh, she felt his wet forehead and determined what she had to do. She groaned in irritation. "I'm going to go get a doctor. He'll give Dib a shot, we'll return him to his bed, and he'll dose him up with medicine and change his prescription again."

She stood, and went to the door. "If he does anything else, page me!" And like that, she was out of the room once more.The boy, now identified as 'Dib', rolled his head around, letting his eyes finally land on Zim, though no malice was shown in his face as he tried to take control of his own body with much failure.

Zim took the cloth and moved it around on Dib's face, trying to cool him down a little, as he looked around the bathroom. It was disgusting; didn't they have a department that's supposed to clean these?

Dib calmed at the cold on his forehead, now having a fuller ability to just stare at Zim. His face weakly scrunched up and his jaw slacked to let out a small noise in pain. His body jerked and twitched at his own noise, and he lifted a hand up to grab onto Zim's arm softly, making no sign of what he wanted with it.

Zim's gaze darted to Dib the instant he heard a noise and he looked at the human questioningly. "Wha-what?" He asked, eye-brows scrunching up in concern.

The human just panted, closing his eyes tightly. It was obvious he was in pain.Dib's doctor, a man that went by the name of Mr. Wallace made his way into the room, Julie following right behind him."Hello, Dib!" The man sang with a smile on his face as if his patient wasn't lying on the ground having just thrown up with a fever in pain. He crouched down next to Zim, and with the syringe in hand, he took the boy's arm and injected him with fluid.Julie watched, chewing gum that she found the time to pick up on her way to get Dr. Wallace.

"What's wrong with him?" Zim asked curiously, genuinely wanting to know what Dib was even in need of hospitalization for in the first place.

Dr. Wallace just hummed as he looked up at Zim. "Here, help me haul him up, and I'll tell you." He then looked over to Julie who jumped and quickly got out a wheel chair.As the two, alien-nurse and human-doctor helped the fainted Dib up to his chair, he began explaining. "Well, Dib just threw up, apparently. I'm thinking it's from the medicine we've been giving him. This is the second time since he's been here that we've had to switch medicine for this reason." He made a small groan, now rolling Dib out of the restroom and to his bed. "I'll probably need to check to see if anything tore," He muttered more to himself than to Zim.

"Tore?" Zim asked, trailing behind the doctor curiously.

"Yeah," The man made a strained noise as he picked Dib up and laid him back on his bed, soon fixing his blankets to lie back on him. "His throat. We just had an operation on it to take out a tumor."

"Shouldn't he be in a recovery ward then or something?" Zim said, looking at the boy oddly.

"Things keep happening to him." The man answered simply. "So, we just keep him here." He left to go to the counter to pick up a few tools and returned back to Dib. He pried his jaws open and peered down his throat with a utensil with a light on it.

"How does it look?" Zim asked quickly, leaning over to try and see for himself.

The man took his tool away and turned towards Julie who was standing at the far end of the room. "It tore again. It isn't an emergency this time, but could you please schedule him for surgery in an hour or something?" He asked her before putting his stuff away.The more experienced nurse just nodded and left, leaving Dr. Wallace virtually alone with Zim in the room. "He'll be fine." He smiled.

Zim looked from Dib to Dr. Wallace... Dib... Wallace... before a smile broke out over his face which he tried to pass off as a sign of relief.Of course with success as we all know humans are stupid."Tell me about this tumor." Zim said, sitting down in a chair awaiting explanations.

"Ah, right," The doctor smiled back, happy with the new nurse-in-training's concern over their patient, he sat next to him and explained the best he could, making mental notes here and there as to what would correct Dib's throwing up problem.

Zim absorbed the knowledge like a sponge, paying as close attention as possible to take it to memory exactly how the doctor said, adding it to the other information he had gathered working at the hospital.

It wasn't too long after the doctor left, leaving Zim there to hear the sounds of Dib's harsh breathing alone.Not too long after, Dr. Wallace returned, and handed Zim three bottles. "Since you're so concerned over your patient, I'll let you be in charge of giving him two of each of these when he wakes up." He smiled warmly at the nurse-in-training.

"But, I'm not allowed to administer drugs." Zim pointed out, looking down at and reading each drug's label.

"You seem capable, and I give you permission!" The man said lightheartedly, waving to him as he walked off and out of the room.

"This SCREAMS 'law suit'." Zim said once he was alone, setting the medication down and pulling off his gloves to go back to doing homework until the Dib-human thing woke up.

Twenty minutes and thirty-three seconds went by since the doctor left, and the human on the bed was just waking up. Granted, it was earlier than the syringe shot up his arm was measured for. The boy stirred and rubbed his eyes. There was a nasty taste in his mouth, but he tried to ignore it as well as the sharp pain in his throat that seemed to have been forgotten about by his doctor.

Zim almost didn't notice the human's quiet stirrings but his sensitive antennae were able to pick the movement up and he looked up at Dib then to the bottles, wondering if he should give Dib the pills despite the doctor's approval. In the end he decided it would be for the best and got up, walking over to where he left the medication and grabbed them before moving to Dib's bedside, saying, "Alright, Dib I think your name was, Dr. Wallace gave me these to give to you. Two of each."

Dib turned his look back to Zim and glare- but it was a different kind of glare than it was earlier. It was softer than before. He couldn't help but feel a little relieved that Zim came to help him. Dib held his hand out to Zim, willing to take the pills.

Zim measured out what he needed in his hand first before handing the pills to Dib. All six of them.No one should have to take that many pills at once.

Dib gave Zim an unamused look as he held the pills in hand. He had no water. He made a point to lean on the wall behind his bed to demonstraight just how unamused he was by this.

Zim gave Dib an equally unamused look, mockingly asking, "What? No please?" before walking off to get the human a cup of water to take the pills down with, a small smirk on his face. The Dib thing couldn't talk, but ZIM sure could. And oh the talking he'd be doing until the human got better.

Dib reached out for the cup when Zim had returned, and pouted at the look Zim was giving him.

"What is it you want?" Zim asked teasingly, tiling his head to the side in mock innocence.

The pale boy scowled, clenching his hands open and closed towards the direction of the drink. If looks could kill, Zim would be catching on fire right now for the humiliation he was imposing on Dib.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to be a little more clear than that." Zim informed Dib, turning around as if to put the drink back.

Dib's face went red, though it was unclear if it was because he was angry or embarrassed. He gritted his teeth together and mouthed something to Zim, trying to define each mouth motion carefully so he could get his just reward; the drink.

Zim turned around and walked back over to Dib, eyeing his lips movements as he got closer until he was almost in Dib's face, still holding the drink out of reach though and asking, "Was there a please in there?"

Dib only grew angrier, and tried to reach for the drink so far away, only failing and coming closer to the face that taunted him so. After narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth harder, he tried. He made a p-l blend, stretched his lips to make an 'e', and finally, formed an s, letting out air to make the familiar sound that required no voice.

Zim smile and handed the cup to Dib, saying, "I would have settled for a nod, but that's even better, I guess that deserves two glasses." With the always there mocking voice.

Dib clenched the paper cup tightly is disapproval of Zim's methods as he popped a pill in his mouth, and swallowed it with water, and doing that a few times over and over again. He set his drink off to the side and gave Zim a definite glare, one that could spell death over somebody if it could.

Zim went back over to sit at the table with his home work, opening a book and burying himself in it before saying, "Oh, by the way, Dr. Wallace is taking you into surgery in about twenty minutes I think."

Dib just scowled. Soon, he took his notebook and opened it to a fresh page, took his pen and wrote in large, thick letters, "You Suck, you know!" and held it up over his head for the other to read, and hitting the bed to snag his attention.

Zim looked up and asked, as if hurt, "Why? Because I wanted to warn you that you were going to get cut into, I'm sorry, I'll let it be a surprise next time."

Dib gave a harsher glare, taking the notebook down and flipping over to a new page, one that, with a few seconds, now said "No, 'cause you SUCK, JERK!" which he didn't hesitate to show Zim.

"No, YOU suck!" Zim said, standing up angrily and pointing and accusing finger at Dib. "You suck because you're a pain in the ass to take care of! Stop going out of your way to make my job more difficult!"

Dib retreated his notebook and recoiled a little away from Zim, however far off he was. A small hint of fear showed in his eyes before he took a deep, painful breath, and replaced it with a look of anger and frustration. He pulled his knees to his chest and pouted.

Zim's antennae twitched and he looked at Dib with thinly veiled confusion.Dib was afraid of him?Well of course all creatures should shrivel up with fear at the very mention of Zim but that's only AFTER he conquers the Earth. And it's not like he'd even done anything to the human yet. If nothing else he saved Dib's life, so why?

Dib glare soften as he stared back in confusion at the look the alien was now giving him. He rested the side of his head up against his knee. When he caught his expression getting softer, he hardened it right back up and scooted a little closer against the wall.

"What's the _matter_ with you?" Zim asked, a little at a loss for what to do now.

Dib shook his head coolly, confused as to why he was getting this sort of response back from his nurse. He let his hand up to his head and pulling some messy bits of hair back on his head. When he finally felt uncomfortable enough by the stares of the enemy alien, he fastened his eyes on a nearby wall, glancing over cautiously at Zim every two seconds, fear settling down for embarrassment.

Zim slowly sat back down in his seat to go back to doing his homework, eyes roaming over the humans' complicated form of math, math he could do in his head in less than half the time it takes to write the problem out their way.

Dib slid back in bed with some time. Things had turned awkward for Dib, from saying Zim sucked to now this calm strangeness. Still, though. He stayed in bed until five minutes before the scheduled operation.He readjusted himself so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed; obviously bored and anxious on getting the operation to fix his pained throat. At least going to the surgery room would be more exciting than being stuck in _this _room.

Zim got up and stretched, also waiting for the doctor to come take Dib away so he could ask for the few hours Dib was in surgery off. He NEEDED a break.

Dib swung his white feet off of the bed, glaring at Zim coldly. Every once in a while he looked up at the clock, counting the seconds as they went by. They took so long. A buzz from a white light above loudly filled the room as Dib and Zim seemed to keep perfectly silent.

Zim packed his things away in his bag and slung it over his shoulder, waiting patiently because he learned the first week he was here that Sunday was the day everything ran slower.

The door cricked open, and a familiar man walked in with a Julie behind him rolling a wheel chair behind him and to Dib."It's good to see you, Dib! You've got to quit being so broken on me all of the time!" Dr. Wallace sang.Dib seemed to flinch at what he had said. 'Broken'. Nevertheless, he allowed Julie to help him into the wheel chair."I presume everything went alright while I was away?" The man turned and asked Zim.

"Everything was fine, he was an angel, he took his pills, etcetera, etcetera." Zim said, waving a hand. "Can I leave while Dib is in surgery?"

"Sure," The tall doctor smiled.Julie rolled out a bored Dib that made sure to give Zim a glare, unappreciative of how green his skin was.

Zim let out a sigh of joy, lugging his heavy book bag out of the hospital and back to his base, a condominium looking thing, painted an ugly brown color like the one's surrounding it while the inside was covered in various shades of red, purple, and green. "SIR!" Zim barked, to which a small robot came up to him, stopping every few steps to spark and sizzle.

Zim sighed.The small robot, or, SIR unit, ended up getting banged around a little when they entered Earth's atmosphere and now something inside it was broke. What, Zim couldn't be sure, but there was definately something broken, making the tiny thing almost useless on a whole but able to do simple tasks. He tossed the book bag at the SIR unit, which it caught, saying, "Take that into the kitchen and come back to run a height scan.The SIR did as commanded, putting the book bag on the kitchen table then rushing back to its master to run a height scan."Master Zim has grown four inches since last scanned." The SIR unit informed Zim, making the alien grin widely. He pulled a few vials of some kind of liquid from his uniform pocket, the labels indicating they were from the hospital and were not to be taken from there without a doctor's signed consent. Not that Zim cared.

Zim had taken the vials filled with the human growth hormone or whatever it was from the hospital when he first started training there, along with several other drugs, for testing and when he discovered the chemicals used in the hormone injections he had to test it out for himself, despite what protocol or instinct told him. The result was better than he ever could have hoped for. Invader Zim, shortest of all the invaders, shorter than the average human child, was growing at an astounding rate, growing just a little under a foot taller in the few weeks he's been on the filthy dirt ball planet.

Dib rested himself in the starch white room with bright light all around him. Men and women in surgical uniforms and masks over their nose and mouths gathered around the pale boy with a tray and plenty of tools.Not that this mattered to the moonlit child at all. He expected this, after all.Still, however, anxiety that was never _meant _to be called to him through his heart and made his mind question. He had never had this problem before- why now would he just start worrying?The alien.That was it, wasn't it? A small fear crept onto him that the second he lost consciousness in this great hospital, his soul would be taken from him by the alien nurse himself. His imagination roamed. Perhaps his limp, sleeping, drug-induced body would get stolen by the nurse? He'd be used as an experiment, just like he wouldn't mind doing to him.Now, instead of just his throat being sliced open and worked on, it would be his chest, his stomach, perhaps his arms and legs. Things would get removed, and placed back differently than when they were first in his body. He'd get transformed. Become an experiment.The young teen's breathing became harsh, but the doctors around him getting ready for the surgery dismissed it for nervousness on the surgery. It wasn't long, however, until the men and women of the room forced sleep on the boy.It was a drug induced sleep, that didn't last nearly as long as the doctors thought it would, not like that mattered to the apathetic doctors, however much in pain the small Dib was in. They just sent him back to sleep until his operation was done, and he was sent to a recovery room to wake up two hours later.

Zim came to Dib in the recovery room after wondering around the halls for a good half hour and, though getting lost annoyed him, nothing could ruin his good mood. If his growth spurts continued, he could become the next Tallest!

The drowsy Dib stared at the shorter green nurse the greeted him with a grand smile. A question came to Dib's tongue to ask bitterly, 'What are you so happy about?' but the words never came. Instead, he just lay there like he would every day in the hospital.

Zim placed the book bag he brought back with him on the table and sighed cheerily, saying, "I don't know about you, but I feel much better."

Zim received a weak, sour glare from Dib.

The alien wasn't at all fazed by the look, his mood much too bright to sour at this point. "Aw, don't look at me like that. Soon you'll be healed and back home with you pathetic parents and whoever else you may have to share a house with."

Dib's glare then went a little soft, and the boy felt something of strange hurt and distaste. He turned his back on the alien he was having anxiety about earlier, and pulled his blanket over his shoulder.

"What? Don't you want to go home?" Zim asked, one eye narrowed in confusion.

The human tensed up. It was obvious by the way his shoulders went higher and his head dipped forwards. If he could talk, he wouldn't want to talk about this.

Zim's eyes narrowed further, his head tilting a little as he asked, "You do want to go home, right?"

Dib pulled out an arm from his cover and flapped his hand at Zim, signaling his answer.

Zim grumbled but sat himself in his chair and began doing home work again, waiting until it was time to get the human dinner since he had surgery through lunch.

After minutes of lying there pouting like a child, Dib rolled over to face Zim again. His eyes fell on the book he was working from. It was a literature book.It was for his grade level, too.Dib stared at it for a good long while with questions filling his head about the green nurse. However hard he tried to shrug them off, it just would not be.

Zim chewed on his bottom lips as he answered the questions after the short story as best he could. He was not a very good reader, he found out. Sure he could read the story faster than anyone else, but he had a hard time getting anything from the story other than what was there in black and white.

It was a story, nevertheless.A story. The more Dib sat and pondered on it, the more he realized just how much he was hungering over a story. Any kind of story would be nice. Talking was nice. Hearing others talk was nice. The only thing he had in this room, however, was an alien and an annoying buzzing sound from the light.

Zim's antennae twitched as he tried to make sense of one of the questions, his mind fleeing from that when Dib's mood seemed to drop. He looked up at the boy and tilted his head a little. Was he lonely? He looked like he needed company, definately."When do your parents usually visit?" Zim asked curiously.

Dib didn't move a bit for a few seconds as he stared at Zim after the question. Though, with time, he gradually just shook his head, keeping his eyes still fastened on his nurse.

"They don't come?" Zim asked, eyes widening slightly. In his experience parents seemed to be loving and kind and willing to do anything for their children. So why wouldn't Dib's come visit him in the hospital?

Dib drooped down some, feeling the surprised question burn within him something painful. He then shook his head again, but this time it was slower.

Zim got up, book in hand, and sat down in the chair next to the bed, actually feeling pretty sorry for the human.

Dib, keeping a watchful eye on the alien he didn't seem to trust, withdrew a little in his laying position.

"Why don't your parents come see you?" Zim asked, setting the book in his lap as he leaned over some to get a better look at Dib's face.

Dib recoiled some more, and he could feel his heart quicken in pace at the nosy un-nosed alien nearing in closer. He frowned despite this. How was he suppose to say? Why would he even want to think about something like that? It was normal for this to happen, anyway.

Zim sighed, pulling back to look at Dib with a less than impressed face, asking, "You're just a teen angst story waiting to happen aren't you?"

The human glared, obviously unhappy by Zim's choice or words or that even an alien such as himself would speak to him. He didn't need to be spoken to by an alien!Dib pouted, puffing out his cheeks before gripping the book from Zim's lap, only to realize it was too heavy for him at the moment, forcing him to let go.

Zim looked from Dib, to his book, Dib, the book."You want to read something?" He asked, holding the book up.

Dib gave a small nod, making a strange crinkling noise on his pillow from such an action.

"Mmmm," Zim hummed thoughtfully before deciding Dib couldn't be trusted and opened the book to a random story, saying, "I'll read TO you."

Dib gave the other a confused look, and he mouthed 'why?' as he tried to prop himself up in a sitting position before giving up and falling back in a crooked state with his head against the wall and his back against the pillow, bending at his neck.

Zim ignored Dib's question and got right into reading, being sure to speak clearly so he wouldn't have to repeat himself.

The pale boy watched Zim's lips intently. Ever movement they made, every syllable they formed. It was almost hypnotic, whether the alien knew this or not. Suddenly, Dib was calmed. Everything seemed better than they had been for a while. He wasn't just getting attention from the doctors checking to see if his body was alright- no, he was getting attention for his own emotional easiness, it seemed.Still, however, this came from the alien-nurse himself, and Dib vaguely wondered if this was a trap, but with no fear behind it. Instead, with every bit of this green person's voice that passed through his lips, Dib was put more and more at ease.In some strange way, it felt perfect, and comforting.

Zim pronounced every word of the stupid story he was reading perfectly with little effort on his part. It was a juvenile story with very little point to it about a morning bird that got turned around on his way south for the winter and was eaten by a polar bear. But still, Zim liked to talk, and it was obvious by the way Dib seemed to calm that he was being listened to intently, which he also liked.

Dib watched as Zim's almost plastic-looking eyes with such a beautiful unique eye shape dragged back and forth against the paper.When the story was finished, Dib just continued to stare, as if he was still being read to.

Zim looked up at Dib, expecting some annoyed look on the human's face instead of the intense one that was currently being shown his way and his surprise made itself apparent in the way he looked back at the boy curiously."You... want another story?" Zim asked after a while.

It felt childish to Dib to behave this way over just being read to, something as futile and weak as that, but Dib nodded slightly, abandoning his morals towards dependency and independency.

Zim nodded back, hesitating before looking back at the book and flipping a few pages to the next story. Something about a fox and a bear... he wasn't really paying much attention.

It left Dib much in the same dreamy state at Zim's voice as it had the previous story. He pushed himself up better to try to steal a peak at the book Zim was reading from. Every once in a while he'd just bend forward and look up at his reading from that position.

Zim's antennae twitched as he read, picking up Dib's mood by the slight changes in his chemistry. The boy was much more relaxed that he had even been while he was sleeping, much to the irken's surprise. Maybe the human really was just lonely, just needed some company and someone to take care of him, despite his unwillingness to let anyone do so.

Dib watched until his reader stopped. He sat back normally on the bed and pulled his legs up tight to his chest. He wanted to take the thick book from Zim and read back to him, if anything, just to hear himself read like he use to before his tumor, but for now, for now this was good. He was content.

"So... uh..." Zim looked around a little when he was done, antennae twitching here and there but mostly falling still once more. He really didn't know what to do at this point. Just go back to doing homework, read more to Dib, or find something else to do with the human.

Dib, after a pause, mouthed something unrecognizable to the alien, but not without feeling weird that he had to do so. He was appreciative of the reading, sure, but he didn't really want the other to know this, and so, wanted to quickly put him to work so he could have time to reflect back on himself.

Zim tilted his head as he looked back to Dib, only catching the last bits of whatever it was Dib was saying. "Hm?"

Dib tried mouthing it again, only slower this time and pointing to his stomach lazily.

"Food?" Zim asked, standing up and setting his book on the chair.

Dib's face brightened up for a split second at the correct answer, but soon fell to the more casual calm state it was in before, and he nodded.

"Alright," Zim said, nodding back and pulling out the menu/checklist from the drawer on the nightstand and handing it to Dib, waiting for him to select him meal before taking the top sheet off the pad and putting the rest of them back and leaving to get the human's food.

Dib made certain that the second Zim left, he got out of his bed and made careful steps over to the backpack Zim had left on the counter. Luckily for the alien, he hadn't any chemicals left in there, but instead, mountains of work from their town's school.Dib gathered all the information he could get from the alien's backpack.Although he was taking freshmen English, he appeared to be a senior, by what his badge said. "Zim", was what it read with the alien's face stamped on the badge. He wasn't wearing the nurse's suit as he was here in the hospital, which was strange for Dib, but normal, he supposed.He dug through more and more, looking for some sort of evidence- some sort of thing that was more alien than the thought having to do homework while you were at work. All he found was papers and books.He was great at math requiring formulas, and chemistry, it seemed, but horrible in everything else.

Zim came back a short while later, carrying a tray of some kind of soup, as it was the only thing Dib could eat that the moment, soup, which made the irken kind of pity Dib. The human must be dying on the inside, not being able to eat snacks.Zim put the tray of food on the rolling table and brought it over Dib's bed for him to eat, taking the literature book Dib was consumed in flipping through away from the human so he could eat."The chef said he'll get some ice cream ready for you when you're done." He reported, taking the book over to lay with the rest of his home work, staring at his bag for a moment, he could have sworn he closed that.

Dib went to work at his soup right away. He took heavy spoonfuls and slurped it down, enjoying the soothing sensation the soup had with his pained throat. He peaked up at Zim as he slurped more and more down, genuinely grateful for the ice-cream, although he had no way to say it.

Zim sat back down at the table, pushing a pencil around in a 'I REALLY don't want to do this right now' look though he knew he had to get this work done, if only as confirmation to himself that he knew what he was doing.

Dib held the bowl by its sides and lifted it up to his lips, where he promptly drank its contents. He placed the bowl down and gave a satisfied sigh before peaking over to see what Zim was doing.

Zim had dropped the English completely while Dib had been eating, instead going on to tackle math and science, those being the easiest for him.Hell he could have done that stuff with he was two minutes old!

Dib snatched up the English paper laying on the table next to him. Setting his tray of soup aside, Dib put the paper on the table and began reading it. With his eyes still on the paper, he wiggled his fingers towards Zim, requesting the pencil.

Zim looked around a moment until he found an extra one and handed it to Dib, wanting to see what the Dib was going to do.

Dib pressed the paper against his leg and began filling in answers to a famous short story that Zim had to read, and apparently, Zim didn't get. It was almost laughable to Dib how simple minded Zim's answers were with this story- the questions, that is, he answered.

Zim leaned over to watch Dib work looking only more confused at the answers Dib wrote down.

As if he sang a happy 'Done!', Dib held the paper up to proudly show the owner of the sheet of paper, bragging about his in-depth answers.

Zim took the paper gingerly and read over it, giving Dib an even more confused look and asking, "How did you get these answers?"

Dib pulled himself up and positioned himself where he could see the paper, excitedly pointed to an answer and opened his mouth. His voice didn't even try to push itself out.

Zim stared at Dib curiously for a moment before drooping a little. That was right, Dib couldn't talk could he?

Dib retreated to the bed, and with a casual look on his face, he shrugged as if it wasn't important. He then flapped his hand in Zim's direction while giving a cocky smile to tell him to just go with it.

Zim looked over the paper and book marked his literature book with it, casually putting it away as if he himself had just finished that paper.

Dib looked down at his hands in his lap. This was sort of nice, he thought to himself. Even if this company so near to him doing his work was an alien that he was positive was bent on world domination.

Zim finished up his home work and put it away, wishing he could have a conversation with Dib instead of just sitting there with nothing to do for the twenty minutes until seven o'clock rolled around and he had to leave.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib/Wallace/Julie: TSI


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREEEE! Things start to become a bit more clear from here on out and there are going to be a ton of revelations in the next to chapters!

I feel like I should say a little bit more about this story, like that TSI is actually the one that came up with the plot this time around, and that we aren't even half way done role playing this whole thing yet! And yet there's already about ten or eleven chapters! Does that mean that this will excede TGK and US? WHO KNOWS! I sure as heck don't.

* * *

The school bell rang in an annoying manor, and teens swung their backpacks over their shoulders to leave the doomed room they were force to wait and listen in. It was English class. The English teacher, a round woman of the name Mrs. Maloy walked past Zim, giving him a hateful look before finding her place back in her own teacher's desk.

Zim scurried out of the room to quickly lose himself in the crowd of much taller humans. Even with the growth hormones he was still incredibly short, but that would soon change. He smirked as he made his way out of the school and ran all the way home, having just barely enough time to get to work after quickly changing and giving his SIR unit a few chores to do while he was gone.

Dib glared at the alien coming into his room much like he had the day before and the day before that, but now for a totally different reason."You're late", said the notebook being held over the head of the scowling boy.

"Hey, I have to walk here; I don't get to stay overnight like you do." Zim pointed out, setting his book bag down on the table once more and grabbing Dib's pills for him to take. "How's your throat?"

Dib put the notebook down in his lap and softly shrugged. It was better than it was the day before, but he didn't want to pay that much mind.

Zim portioned Dib's medication out and gave the pills to the boy, along with a cup of water this time.

Dib took his medicine without hesitation, use to taking pills by now. He handed the empty cup back to Zim and gave him an odd look.He was taller again. Even if it was by a little, he was taller.

"What, is there something on my face?" Zim asked, whipping his mouth as he threw the paper cup away.

Dib frowned and turned over a new page in his notebook, scribbling down something and handing it over to Zim._'Why are you taller?'_

It was Zim's turn to give Dib an odd look. "I haven't grown that much. What, do you stare at me so intently you're able to gauge my height or are you some kind of psychic measuring tape?"

Dib pouted at the mocking insult and snagged his notebook back to scribble harshly under that sentence another._'You must be __at least__ five inches taller than when I met you. How can I ignore that?'_

Zim read that note and his face twisted up as he tried to think of a way out of this. "I'm... being treated. Yes, that's it. I'm being treated with an experimental medicine for people with stunted growth. Like mine." Zim said with a nod as if agreeing with himself.

Dib glared but decided not to push it. What would happen if he'd call his nurse out on being an alien? He scowled and began drawing circles on his notebook.

"What is that for anyway?" Zim asked, pointing to the notebook and he began to pull his school things out.

Dib shrugged and quickly flipped through the notebook to show Zim the large amount of writing he'd do, and the occasional blank page with a simple sentence for communication.

"So you just write?" Zim asked, curiously. "Like, just because?"

Dib nodded. Unlike Zim, he was just as good in English as he was in Biology, and he proved it by flipping over to a page, a story about an alien taking over the world and getting attacked by germs, and handing it to his green nurse for two purposes. One; to see his reaction, and two; to prove he could write.

Zim read the story, a little frightened that the very person he was charged with helping get better wrote a story about an alien getting felled by something so small you couldn't see it.

Dib smirked and leaned back on the back of the bed, folding his arm. Zim's antennae could just pick up the sheer smug grin off of Dib without even having to have the alien look at him.

And he was slightly frightened by it. I mean, it's not like a human could do anything to him or something like that, oh no, but it was a little too coincidental.

Dib took his notebook back when he was sure the other was done reading. He flipped to a fresh page, and just continued his casual smirk to the alien nurse. He seemed to be frightened, so very frightened. It amused Dib, however much he was getting use to the alien.

Zim cleared his throat and straightened his back, trying to look as casually as possible._'It's nothing,_' he assured himself. _'Nothing at all. He's just mocking your skin condition.'_

_'What's the matter?'_ Dib wrote fluently on his paper in cursive before showing Zim with the same sly grin as before.

"Are you making fun of me?" Zim asked, sound slightly hurt, trying to cover up his fear.

Dib faked a gasp and went back to his paper to respond with. _'No, not at all. I wanted to show you a story I wrote about something that _interests _me.'_ He gave a slightly more friendly look, trying to cover up his own smug triumphant feeling as he showed the alien that he was _indeed _making fun of, but for the reason Zim feared.

"You're interested in aliens?" Zim asked, looking at him oddly.

Dib didn't have to fake his answer at all as he nodded vigorously, taking his notebook back to his lap and thinking back to his stories of such things to himself.

"You _are_ a weird child." Zim said, shaking his head as he got out his math home work first.

Dib puffed his cheeks out and pouted at Zim. How dare an ALIEN tell Dib that he was weird for taking interest in the very thing the human was sure his nurse was? He glared at his paper and began drawing circles once more.

Zim also pouted as he did his math home work in record time. And here he thought he was going to have FUN with Dib today. But then he had to go and suspect Zim of being an alien. And he knew the boy was suspecting of it.

Eventually, the human took to drawing a cartoon style of Zim as he boredly went on with his pen to paper. Next to the Zim he drew, he drew a cartoon version of himself in his normal clothes rather than his hospital gown, and in it, he was talking a lot.

Zim moved from Math to Science, avoiding the English home work for as long as possible.

After drawing the picture, Dib got frustrated and flopped the notebook hard against his lap and folded his arms. This is why he wrote, not _dre__w. _He peaked over at Zim doing his work. Oh, how boredom dwelled.

Zim sighed and got up finally unable to take the quiet."I'm going to get something from the snack machine down stairs. Do you want something?" Zim asked, making his way to the door.

Dib gave him a flat look and gently held his throat indicating, 'No, you idiot, I don't want anything.'

"Oh come on, you can't suck on some hard candy or something? Chocolate melts in your mouth." Zim said, motioning widely in an overly dramatic 'DUH' way.

Dib just waved him off, and folded his arms, showing him that he didn't care.

Zim gave Dib a short glare before making his way off to the snack machine, wondering why HE had to get the patient that believed in aliens."Why couldn't I get the old guy?"

An old man inserting a dollar into the vending machine next to Zim's turned his head slowly to give the nurse a baffled, confused look.

"What?" Zim snapped irately. Inserting his own dollar and getting himself some potato chips before stomping off, not even bothering to grab his change.

Dib waited in the bed, his eyes fixed on Zim's backpack, the temptation of going through it once more coming back to him. Instead he just went to lie back down on the bed and pout over his misfortune.

Zim came back a few minutes later and dropped a lolli-pop on the bed in front of him, saying, "I got it at the front desk, they said you could have it."

Dib took it, stared at it for a bit and looked back at Zim. His mind began contemplating better uses for it later and he decided to just lay it back on the desk next to him. He sat up and shrugged to Zim.

Zim just shrugged back, obviously in a foul mood. He opened his chips and munched on them as he did his science homework. He wondered if Dib had any idea that the very thing he was interested in just gave him candy.

Dib sat back up in the bed and stared at Zim boredly, obviously saying something with his eyes along the lines of 'do something with me, Zim, or I might go homicidal in here.'

Zim ignored Dib until his science homework was done and his chips were all gone, giving the boy a, "What?" As he got up to throw the bag in the garbage can.

Dib flailed his arms on the bed while pouting horribly. He was so bored he was asking for something to do from Zim, something that Dib thought, meant he was very bored.

Zim put his hands on his hips, about to refuse before sighing and slumping in the shoulder area, asking, "Do you want me to read to you again?"

Dib shrugged. Obviously, being difficult was somewhat fun to the bored-to-tears pale teen.

"Either yes, or no, Dib." Zim said, crossing his arms after tossing the bag into the garbage. "I'm not reading to you for a shrug."

Dib had startled at the sound of Zim saying his name, but he recovered quickly. Suddenly, the thought of hearing Zim's voice reading to him sounded very inviting, so, after a few second pause, the boy nodded.

"Alright," Zim said, grabbing his literature book and adding, "By the way, you got a one hundred on my homework."

Dib's face lightened up before it went back to a casual smirk. The teen folded his arm and puffed out his chest, showing that he was, indeed, awesome.

"Yes, yes, Dib, you are amazing, now then." Zim said with a wave before clearing his throat and opening the book to a random story to read.

(break)

A week passed and Zim and Dib had been getting along much better than before. Zim read to Dib every once in a while or gave him a book to read while he was doing something else and the days past like this until Saturday.Zim ran through the halls, carrying something under his arm, almost completely passing Julie on his way to get to Dib without being late and having to face his smart-ass comments.

"Hey, wait!" Julie said, turning and stopping Zim by his shoulder. "Zim, what's the rush?" She asked, soon tucking hair behind her ear as she watched Zim fidget in anticipation.

"If I don't get to Dib's room in one minute I'll get lip from a mute person." Zim said, panting lightly.

Julie smirked. "Alright, well, I just thought I'd like to tell you that," She then began dragging her words on slowly just to make her nurse-in-training more nervous. "Dib will be removed from the hospital in a week."

"That's great!" Zim said after a moment of stunned silence.

"Yeah," Julie smiled. "Do you mind telling your patient that? He's more of your responsibility this way anyway." She shrugged and began walking backwards towards her destination, keeping her dark eyes on Zim.

"Alright," Zim said, waving Julie bye and rushing off to get to Dib.

Dib was in his room staring at the clock, watching as the long black second hand ticked and tocked away, climbing up and nearing the twelve. Five more seconds... Zim was going to keep him waiting again!That was, what he thought until he heard the door fly open, revealing his very green nurse in his very red nurse's outfit.Dib flailed his arms to complain how the other was almost late.

"Oh shut up, I'm here aren't I?" Zim asked, panting. "And I have good news."

Dib perked up with curiosity, and his arms dropped to his sides.

"Julie said you'll be able to leave the hospital in about a week!" Zim said, walking over to Dib's bed and sitting on the edge of it.

A great big fake smile covered Dib's face as he stared at Zim with fake enthusiasm as well. His spirits dropped, however much he wouldn't willingly let Zim know this. Quickly, he had to look somewhere else to distract himself, so he smiled, looking at a painting nearby with the same smile as he tried to collect himself.

Zim could sense it though. Dib didn't seem at all pleased about returning home. So, to distract them both, Zim put the thing he was carrying under his arms behind him back, saying, "I got you something, Dib-stink."

The pale boy's attention got snagged once more by the alien, and he looked back at him curiously, the fake smile so easily falling to go into that of question.

Zim dramatically whipped the thing behind him right in Dib's face, narrowly missing taking the poor boy's nose off with the force of the drama."A sign language book! That way you aren't waving your arms around trying to tell me what you want. Well... I mean... you are, but it'll be easier to tell what you're saying, you know?"

Dib cocked a strange look at him, and then at the book. However pleased with the new gift he was, as far as Zim was concerned, Dib would only be in here for a week more anyway, and would the alien learn it with him? Who else really knew sign language to be spoken to?Dib took it in his hands and set it on his lap, slowly opening the first few pages to look at the pictures of hands. He looked back up at Zim, a bit concerned.Should he have even received a gift?

"What's wrong?" Zim asked, tilting his head to the side.

Dib took his notebook from the side table and snatched up his pen to begin writing._'Was it really okay for you to get me this?'_

Zim read the note confusedly."What do you mean by 'was it okay'?" He asked, hands on his hips.

Dib added, _'Money.'_

"It was on sale for fifteen dollars, Dib-thing." Zim said, tapping the book with a finger like claw. "It didn't exactly break the bank."

Dib's eyes wondered before they went back to the book. After taking in that somebody would get him this, he flipped through it as quick as he could to find the words he wanted to express.After learning how to say the phrase he wanted to know in this new sort of speech, Dib put his hand to his lips, and brought said hand out in front of his chest. _'Thank you.'_He gave Zim the book and pointed to the page he was looking at so he could figure it out.

Zim leaned over to look at the page before looking up with a small, almost not there smile and saying, "You're welcome."

Zim responded politely. That was more than Dib expected from the nurse.Dib took the book back to his lap and stared off to the side, now unable to meet Zim's glance with his own. He could feel his face heating up, but he tried to push it down.

"Ok, well," Zim said, brushing himself off importantly. "I'm going to go get your breakfast now. Be right back." With that Zim marched off in that crazy way he did.

Dib finally brought his glance back at the book, and slowly flipped its pages. He closed the book.He looked off to the side where he saw the lolli-pop from earlier that week. His stomach dipped at the thought of what he was about to do.Mustering up all of the bravery he could, he took the lolli-pop and smashed it against the side-table as hard as he could. The pale boy, (who was increasing in color by the day if only slightly) took the shattered pieces of the lolli-pop stick off, still holding it to the wrapper.He began sticking the stick as far back in his throat as he could.

* * *

OMG WHAT THE HECK!?

Review and you mind find out. -insert evil laugh-

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI


	4. Chapter 4

WOO! Early update! And I bet none of you care why you just want your ficsin's. Well too bad because I'm going to tell you why anyway!

It's TSI's BIRTHDAY TODAY! WOOOOOOOOO!

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"Dib!" Zim barked from the doorway, setting the food down on a counter to try and catch Dib in time.

Dib went wide eyed and almost choked on the stick down his throat when he realized Zim was right there. Quickly, the human began pulling the stick out and hide it behind his back as if none of that had happened.He stared at his alien nurse with wide eyes. All of the color his face might have possessed was suddenly washed away in his tensed, fearful state.

"What was that?" Zim asked, trying to look behind the boy's back.

Dib shook his head quickly to show that it was nothing, and lightly with his fingers pushed the lolli-pop stick under his pillow without moving his arm too much. He gave Zim a reassuring smile and shrug and he grabbed his book and began looking through it once more as if this never happened, despite what his heart said about this.

Zim gave Dib an odd look before going over to grab Dib's breakfast and bring it over to the table for Dib.Breakfast this morning was eggs, scrambled for easy swallowing, and some form of goopy oatmeal stuffs that looked like it'd been pureed.

Dib guiltily took the tray of food and gave the sign for 'thank you' that he had learned previously. He began eating while nervously looking up to Zim every two to three seconds as he took the food down easily.

While Dib was eating Zim decided to flip through the book he'd gotten for the boy. He took a quick look when he first bought it but now enough to learn anything. As he quickly scanned over the pages his pak memorized everything for him, making learning for him a lot easier.

Dib finished up fairly quickly, and set the tray off to his side when he was done. He leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He wanted Zim out of the room so bad right now, however, at the same time, his presence was so desired.He fidgeted his fingers on the bed and looked over at Zim memorizing the book. He seemed like a fast reader when he wasn't reading out loud.

Zim almost didn't notice when Dib had finished, really getting in to the book.He didn't even get to half way when he did notice. "I don't know HOW you eat that garbage." He said, setting the book down and walking over to get rid of the tray.

Dib turned his head, watching Zim approach for the tray. He could feel his heart quicken and his face flush faintly. He once again used his thank you sign he had learned, trying to get into practice with it as much as he could- that being the first thing he learned in sign language.

Zim smiled and picked up the tray, taking it out to get rid off, leaving the door cracked slightly, just in case.

Dib watched Zim leave carefully. He sat up and contemplated over himself. He was almost caught. Should he do it again now that he had the chance? Might as well. He only had so many chances until he'd have to leave, and soon they'd be transferring him into another room anyway and he'd have to move again once he went through all of this again anyway.His fingers slid back under his pillow and he slid out his lollipop stick. This time, he gave no hesitation to jam it down his throat harshly.

Zim sighed as he made his way back down two floors to return the tray and to grab himself a muffin which he ate on the way back up to Dib's room.

Dib felt the warm bit of blood slick down his throat, causing him to gag, stick still shoved down. He pulled it out and began coughing in arm, something that was incredibly painful for the young teen, as well as tore his throat up worse.Blood covered the stick in his fingers and the short sleeve of his hospital gown as he coughed worse and worse.

"Dib?" Zim asked, walking into the room and not liking what he saw there. Upon seeing the blood, for how could one not against Dib's completely pale skin, he ran over to Dib, stopping for a moment when something kind of shiny caught his eyes.Sitting on the night stand by the hospital bed was the broken remains of the lolli-pop. Zim's eyes darted to Dib's hand where he saw the stick. "Dib?" He asked firmly, taking the blood covered implement of self mutilation from the human. "What were you doing with this?"

Dib could hardly breathe correctly, stuck in a mixture of pain and suffocation. He looked upwards towards Zim, his coughing never ceasing, but he couldn't help but scoot back on his bed, pushing himself away from the alien he once more considered a huge threat.

Zim growled, throwing the stick to the side angrily and moving forward to pick the boy up into his arms with strength far surpassing that of the human on the receiving end. "We have to get you to the doctor... or at least someone who can help." Zim grunted, taking Dib to the door and calling out, "I'VE GOT A PATIENT COUGHING UP BLOOD DOWN HERE!"

Dib woke up after yet another operation on his throat. Sometimes the boy wondered if his father was going to get angry at him for the medical bill, but in reality, his desire to stay in this hospital was more than his concern over money. Everything was a blur; they must have taken his glasses off, which left him wondering._'Where am I?'_

An unhappy sounding grumble came from Dib's right, a slow tapping of fingers on wood came from the same direction. From the same source. Zim had only been through it twice and already he was tired of Dib's unwillingness to recover.

The pale teen looked off to the side at the familiar voice. He lifted his hands to feel his throat. Before, it hadn't needed bandages, now, however, it appeared it did.Dib rubbed the pained area with his fingers as he stared at the Christmas-colored blob before him while he indulged in the feeling of painkillers.

"Why don't you want to leave the hospital?" Zim asked, glaring plainly at Dib.

Dib was startled by the question. He felt something well up in his chest but he tried to ignore it, just like Zim's question. He reached out to the brown blurb next to the red and green one to try to see if he could feel for his glasses, dismissing all uncomfortable feelings in the process.

Zim quickly grabbed Dib's hand with his own to make sure he wasn't ignored. "Why don't you want to leave the hospital?"

Dib looked back at Zim blindly, his heart nearly hopping out of his ribcage at the alien's persistency.After a few nervous seconds like this, the fourteen-year-old dipped his face into the pillow. How embarrassing was this for Dib when he couldn't even speak?

Zim put Dib's note book and pen down next to him on the bed, followed by his glasses. "I want to know now."

Dib looked up at the green nurse who had startlingly grown as tall as him oppose to when he first met him the alien a week ago.Dib shook his thoughts out. They were distracting him. Must have been the medicine he was put on.Dib put pen to paper, and with slight hesitation, he began to make black ink strokes._'I __don't__ want to go back to school.'_

Zim got up to read over Dib's shoulder."You don't want to- ... it's just school Dib. Is it worth ruining your throat and never being able to talk again?" The alien asked, looking at Dib like he was nuts. Which he was.

Dib glared and marked more on the paper._'I __can't__ speak ever again because I had a tumor there.'_

"No, because you keep screwing your throat up." Zim said, about ready to whack the human on the head. "School cannot be so bad that you cause yourself serious injury to stay away from it. You could have DIED."

Dib felt more blood leave his face and causing him to feel a little lightheaded as well due to Zim's blunt, honest words. He pried his eyes away from the other to scowl at the notebook in his lap. He sighed, and wrote a question- _'Really?'_

"No, I'm just saying that to make you feel bad." Zim said, sarcasm evident. "Yes you could have. People do have the ability to drown in their own blood you know."

The boy fidgeted with the notebook in his lap._'I still don't want to go back.' _The boy wrote his words full with guilt for making his green nurse angry and concerned with him.

"Why?" Zim asked, trying to keep his voice as soft as possible now, hoping to get to the heart of the problem.Not that he cared or anything...

Dib's eyes swung around the room anxiously. Wouldn't he saying he didn't want to go back to school be good enough? His nervousness filled the room, and anybody, Irken or not, could pick up on it. He debated answering, but shook his head. It felt too awkward. His nurse- who went to the same school as he did, a few grade levels above him would only laugh, mock, and do what everybody else seems to do to him.

Zim leaned down, putting his hand on the bed next to the human so he was at the perfect height to get right in his face. "Tell me. I want to know why you don't want to go to school."

Dib hesitated, blinking back at the green face right in front of his redder face. Dib recoiled a little cautiously. He noted his breath was uneven at the pressure Zim seemed to be presenting him. The boy lowered his head, however, and began writing a paragraph long full of reasons why he didn't want to go back._'The school preaches lies. Teachers __won't__ believe my true answers, and everybody scorns me. They all think I'm crazy. There __isn't__ anybody who likes me even a little. I get bullied. I get bullied by everyone. I even get bullied by the kids that gets bullied second most to me. I swear some people want to kill me, and the principle keeps sending me to the stupid __counselor__ to tell me that what I believe in __aren't real_He wanted to rant more, about how he rather enjoyed staying in the dumpster after somebody would find him walking to school, just so he wouldn't have to actually go and visit the vicious demons there to eat him limb from limb every second of the day, but he got tired of writing and having the alien wait on him.

Zim read what the human wrote and sighed."You can't stay here the rest of your life, Dib-stink." He said. "You'll have to go back to school some day."

Dib glared off to the side, a firm pout on his lips. It was the truth, and Dib knew this, but it stung nevertheless.The hormonal teen would just rather do himself harm and stay in a bed than have others do him harm continuously and stomping on his emotions. As far as he was concerned, he could stay here for the rest of his life; or at least, 'till the end of high school.Dib looked back at the alien in front of him, now getting the tendency, more than ever, just to pluck his antennae out and using them as drum sticks for having to care so much.

"I'm... FURIOUS... with... you." Zim said, giving Dib the signing as he talked. Pointing to himself for I'm, circulating his hands upwards for furious, bringing his hands together, and the pointing to Dib with such force as if to stab him for being so stupid.Hey, what else did he have to do while Dib was in surgery other than read."You need to go to school, if I have to tie you down so you can heal, then drag you each day myself, you will go."

Dib glared harshly, his heart rushing from getting in trouble. He stuck his tongue out at Zim and tightly crossed his arms. With an angry passion at the other for his efforts, the human mouthed something with three syllables, to try to communicate something to the other.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak voiceless." Zim said with a wicked grin. "You're either going to have to brush up on you sign language, or heal."

Dib clenched his teeth together, fisting his hands tightly.He raised a fist and almost went about punching the in-your-face Zim-nurse, but thought better of it and just gave him a violent shove.

Zim scowled angrily at the human as he stumbled back before advancing on him quickly. With swift movements he grabbed the human's head. "You want to stay in the hospital so bad?" He asked. "Then why don't I just put you in a nice coma? Then you can stay here for a while huh?"

The pale boy froze up, his angry expression relaxing a great deal as fear began to consume this get his nurse fired? However much he hated the other, he didn't want his only bit of company to go; and by the look the nurse was giving him, he'd go through with what he'd say. Dib didn't want to go into a coma.The human's mind raced quickly through all of these thoughts and more as his eyes quickly darted from one of Zim's eyes to the other, repetitively.

"Well?" Zim asked, tightening his grip slightly.

Dib cringed, tightening his eyes shut as he brought his hands up to meet Zim's sharp claws. Clumsily, he tried to pry them off. The more he struggled, the more his fear got replaced with embarrassment for himself.

"What if I went to school with you?" Zim asked. "We go to the same place anyway."

Dib watched the other carefully, letting Zim's now laxed hand off of his head and onto his lap.What was he proposing, and why?The human sort of shrugged at the thought, and gave a small, tiny, minute nod while still keeping his eyes on his nurse.

"So you aren't going to do this again?" Zim asked, pulling the stick from the lolli-pop out of his pocket.

Dib paled at the site of the lolli-pop's stick that still had some of the blood from his throat on it. His stomach turned but he gave Zim a head shake, 'No'.

"Ok," Zim said with a sigh, putting the stick back in his pocket and handing him the sign language book. "I have a feeling you'll be here a little longer this time."

Dib felt bad for all of this. Angry, intimidated, embarrassed, and guilty. He turned the book open in his lap and kept his eyes glued to their pages, holding too much shame to look back at his nurse now. It was hard to pay attention to the words and pictures in the book, but he tried.

"I'm going to go get the doctor." Zim said, scratching his head. "And your medication."

Dib looked up and a fearful thought came to him. He started waving his arms around to get the other's attention to stay there for a second.He flipped through the book quickly and tried to make the hand motions for the words he wanted to say._"Please,"_ The human rubbed a circle over his heart. The book's pages turned and folded. _Don't_ He crossed his hands together and pushed them out. The page was changed again. _Tell_He then flicked his index finger from under his chin.

Zim paused for a moment to watch Dib sign. "I won't." He said finally before turning back to get the doctor.

Dib watched him walk out the door blankly, and nervously, fiddling with the pages in the book and hoping his nurse wouldn't mess anything up like tell his doctor anyway.

A few days past and when Zim wasn't running around getting food or information or something for a doctor he spent his time helping Dib learn sign language, having mastered it himself already.

By this time, Zim was two inches taller than the human he took to teaching; not that Dib cared anymore. He gave up caring when he just came to terms with himself that the alien tending to him meant no harm to earth, but was just there to live, or something along those lines.The pale young teen watched the motions Zim gave him. His four claws went up to his lips and placed themselves on his cheek.Dib repeated after him, taking his softer fingers to his lips as well, and mirroring what Zim had done. _"Kiss."_

When he was sure Dib had gotten that one down the alien made his hand into an 'a' and grew his hand down the side of his face in the familiar sign for 'girl' before moving his hand down to his chest from his chin, extending his finger and touching the center of his chest with his thumb, turning the symbol from 'girl' to 'lady'.He watched as Dib mimicked his motions, finding himself just a little envious of his extra fingers. Nice and thin and almost elegant looking as he signed.

Dib blinked at Zim as he had stopped motioning more for him. He curiously looked at him and gave the sign for _"What?"_

"Nothing," Zim said and signed, shaking his head. "What's next?" He flipped the page in the book.

Dib peered over at the book, and pointed at the next page, with the next word, slightly irritated that Zim would get that distracted with himself to have forgotten what he was doing.

Zim nodded and looked at the word quickly before making the sign, pinching his thumb and middle-ish finger together, drawing his fingers from his chest, out._'Like_,'

Dib tapped his middle and ring finger against his thumb and drew his hand from his chest as similar to Zim as he could muster, looking from his chest and fingers up at Zim every two seconds.

Zim nodded and smiled, pointing to himself, drawing his fingers out from his chest, and making the 'f' sign, bouncing it to the right humorously._'I like __French__ fries.'_

Dib smiled back, a bit amused by this._"I like __French__ fries, too."_ The human responded with his hands, recalling back to the 'too' he was taught earlier.His smile shone brighter to the alien.

Zim gave a short laugh, about to go on with the lesson when one of the other nurses in training poked his head in to let Zim know it was time to leave to which Zim seemed a little disappointed."Oh well," He sighed, putting his things back into his book bag. "See you tomorrow after school."

Dib looked a little distressed that his favorite friendly alien had to leave, but sighed and dealt with it. He brought his fingers to his lips and brought them down in a thank you for his help.

"No problem," Zim said and signed, stopping by Dib's bed to give him a short smile.

Dib smiled back calmly at Zim, and lightly grabbed his hand. In one fluent motion he pulled himself closer to the nurse, and wrapped his free arm around his back, resting his cheek on Zim's stomach in the awkward position.

Zim looked down at Dib curiously. The human was... hugging him? Zim had seen many of the Earth children at schools hugging. It was a sign of friendship or affection if he was not mistaken.Did that mean the human, Dib, considered Zim a friend?

Dib retreated to his spot on the bed and gave a childish grin back to the now slightly taller nurse. His chest warmed over with something nice, and he was ready to say 'bye' to Zim by a wave of his hand.

Zim took a few steps back and gave Dib a wave good-bye before retreating from the room, his mind now flooded with questions.

"Zim," A familiar voice called out, nearing. It was Julie. She looked rather casual as she approached Zim at a normal speed, throwing her hands behind her head, clipboard included. She looked at the door Zim just came out of, and back at the nurse-in-training, smiling lightly at his job well done.

"Yeah?" Zim asked, looking back at Julie with his head tilted.

"Remember, your patient leaves in five days," Julie smiled, backtracking now. "I'll find you a new patient in no time though, so don't worry. Thanks for taking care of the mute boy."

"Oh yeah, ok." Zim said, nodding at Julie though seeming mighty distracted. "I'll tell Dib the good news after school then."

"Okay, see you later." She raised a hand as she began walking off. "Have a good day."

"You too." Zim said, making his way out of the germy smelling hospital."Master," The SIR unit greeted Zim at the door with a salute, sparking a little. "The Tallest called for you earlier this afternoon, would you like me to place a call back to them?""No thanks." Zim said, not even realizing the politeness he'd just shown the robot."Master, if I may say." The SIR unit said as Zim plopped himself down on the couch. "You seem to be spending less and less of your energy put into your 'job' of information retrieval. You have not input any data into the computer for some time now.""What, are you my keeper all of a sudden?" Zim asked, glaring at the robot, who just tilted it's head dumbly."Never mind," The alien growled, standing up and making his way to the lift in the kitchen wall. "I need a soothing cleansing bath after spending so long in that germ infested pit of germs."Once in his private washroom, not that there was any other washroom in the base, he stripped of his nurse scrubs and climbed into a steadily filling tub of a murky pink liquid which smelled strongly of something like a cleansing chemical found in most glass cleaners and fruit, and let his mind wander.Dib's hug and what his SIR unit had said were beginning to make him think and he realized he was spending much too much time with the Dib._'It's ok though,'_ Zim thought to himself. _'Dib will be out in five days and I can go back to concentrating on information __retrieval__ while at work.'_

But why did he put things on hold for Dib in the first place? When did this human take priority over his mission? It's not like he was anything special, by human or irken standards. So why did he feel it necessary to get Dib better and out of the hospital and why did he do all of those things for the human? Was Dib's feeling of friendship mutual?_'No,'_ Zim shook his head. _'I'm an invader. I need no one.'_The sound of light splashes woke him out of his trance and brought him to realization that he'd left the tub running too long and it was now over flowing.He turned the water off and called his SIR unit to clean up the mess as he relaxed back against the edge of the tub. Perhaps he would ask Dib about the hug tomorrow?

* * *

OMG OMG!

Zim: Me

Dib: The birthday girl!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five everyone! Woo!

We don't seem to be getting as many reviews for this story I've noticed. And a few people have mentioned being confused. Please if you dont understand something don't give up on us, ask! We will not deny you answers so long as it does not spoil to overall story.

* * *

Dib read his sign language book joyously, and looked up at the clock after every sentence explaining the motions one was suppose to do. He was happy. It was 3:24, and Zim would be there any second to keep him company. It was enough for the pale boy to sit criss-cross on his bed and drive his attention every which way in anticipation.

"Hey," Came the breathless voice of the alien nurse from the door way only a few minutes later, book bag stuffed full of home work he had to do but was going to ignore so he could teach Dib to sign.

Dib smiled calmly at his nurse, a smile that was meant to hide the greater smile begging to be shown. He gave a small wave of his hand before settling it back on his lap. He looked down at the book and back at the alien._"How was your day?" _The muted teen signed to the other, proud of his minimal thinking between each sign.

Zim put a clawed finger underneath his right eye, next to the small ridge where a human's nose would be and twisted it a little, saying, "Dull, but that's pretty unsurprising."

Dib put off looking interested, and gave a shrug. He patted the seat next to his bed where Zim had been sitting with him everyday teaching him how to say words with his body.Dib then pointed at Zim, brought his fingers from both hands together, and shot one index finger up the other, which roughly said. "You're taller."The human had been keeping a watchful eye on Zim's height and never failed to report to the alien when he noticed such things.

"I am," Zim said with a wide grin, obviously very proud of himself. "Aren't I?"

Dib rolled his eyes before handing the book to Zim as he sat near him.

Zim handed the book back to Dib for a moment to turn and sign, _'You will be released in five days.'_He watched the human closely to gauge his reaction, antennae twitching.

When Dib grasped the meaning of what Zim said, he just sort of stiffened. His shoulders drooped and his heart felt heavy.He placed on a small smile despite his anxiety and fear creeping up on him. He signed _"Thank you,"_ before bringing his full attention back to the book to flip through and distract himself with.

Zim tapped Dib's shoulder to get his attention before signing, _"It'll be ok. You'll see."_

Dib stared at Zim for a few, appreciating all of the hard work the other had put into himself since Zim had been assigned to him. He looked back down to the book in his lap and gave a soft nod, his smile disappearing.

Zim sighed and hopped off the bed, asking, "Can you have solid foods yet?"

Dib swiftly signed _Tomorrow_ without even realizing it.

Zim gave Dib a small smile, before saying, "Alright, well I'm going to get myself a snack then and when I get back we can work on your signing."

Dib nodded a little, leaning back on his bed opposed to his slouching sitting position he was in previously. It seemed quiet in the room, more than usually. The white of the walls only seemed to reflect this more.

Zim came back five minutes later with some sort of wrapped up pastry thing half way eaten. "Alright, are we ready?" Zim asked excitedly.

Dib stared at the food, but without a second thought, he gave the book back to Zim. His mind, however, wasn't on the book one bit or the future lesson.

Zim poked Dib's shoulder and set his pastry down, asking and signing, "What's wrong?"

Dib grimaced._"School."_ His movements were jagged at first but in no time became sluggish. "_You, too_."

"What about me?" Zim asked, tilting his head, not even bothering to sign this time.

Dib drooped more in his body language. He flipped his hand back and forth to show that it was nothing and he snuggled up against the pillow his back was on, ready to start so he wouldn't have to talk to Zim about this.

"No Dib, tell me what's wrong." Zim insisted, giving the boy a 'you are NOT getting out of this one' look.

The boy brought his burnt orange eyes up to Zim in a stare before grabbing his notebook on the table.He began scribbling quickly in it, keeping it out of Zim's line of site totally for when he was done.

Zim sat back in his hand, visibly drooping at the thought of what Dib might be having a problem with.

When the human teen was done writing, he handed it to Zim, who accepted and began reading._You're the only one who understands me, __literally__. I could only sign to you, and I'm still going to normal __high school__. Even if others could understand me, you're the only one who can put up with me a reasonable __amount__. Once school starts again, I __won't__ be a patient, and you __won't__ be__ my nurse, and life will return as 'normal'._

"You care too much about what other people think." Zim sighed, giving the note book back to Dib. "Why does it matter if anyone other than me understands you if I'm the only one that can stand you anyway? And just because I won't be your nurse anymore doesn't mean we won't spend time together if that's what you're worried about."

Dib kept his eyes fascined on the alien's eyes.He pointed to his lips with a finger, and swung it out in front of him in a _"Really?"_

"Yes," Zim nodded, mimicking Dib's actions. "Really."

Dib nodded, his eyes falling back down to his lap.He suddenly desired what he had given the day before; a hug, however, he felt just as childish wanting a hug from his nurse as he did when he had read the short stories to him. When Zim was around, it felt like his independence had been swallowed away, forcing him to want to be dependent on the one who brought him meals and kept him company, in more ways than the green teen was assigned to.With how mature he was, he felt like a child in that way, too. So he decided, in more ways than he had been doing, he'd just keep his mouth shut.

Zim tapped Dib's shoulder to get his attention and made and 'r' with both hands as best he could with his limited number of fingers and shifted them to the side, signing and asking, "Ready?"

Dib gave a few slow nods at the alien still putting forth his best efforts for him. He sat back up and felt the texture in his blanket as he watched his nurse perform and teach for him.

Before either of them new time had flown by and it was seven thirty before a nurse stopped by to see why Zim hadn't gotten Dib's dinner when it was served a half an hour earlier. "Sorry, I'll get that now." Zim said, waving the nurse off. When the nurse left Zim turned to Dib with a smile, saying and signing, "I'll go get dinner then."

Dib smiled back, mouth wide from having to catch his breath from the jokes the two had shared. He regained his composure and nodded. Sighing and leaning back against his pillow, cushioning him from his the wall.

Zim jogged out of the room and down two floors to get the food which the chef kindly reheated for him and yet still promised to send the ice cream up, as usual. Zim made sure to get the food to Dib quickly without spilling a drop of the soup. He looked at the liquid as he walked; hoping this really would be the last day Dib would have to eat it.

Dib smiled back at Zim as he entered the room. The air just tasted so good from the smell that was emitting from the soup Zim was holding.The boy outreached his hands and took the tray, placing it in his lap and smelling even more of the warm soup as he dipped his shiny metal spoon in the liquid.

"Just think, tomorrow you can have pizza, or some other greasy food you may have been craving." Zim said, sitting at the foot of the bed and flipping through the sign language book for what they'd study after Dib was done with his soup.

Dib sighed after swallowing the warm bit of soup. The thought of solid food sounded so desirable now._"Taco."_ He motioned the best he could while he concentrated on slurping down more soup.

"Tacos?" Zim asked with a small, amused laugh. "I can't imagine the tacos here are very good. Want me to sneak you some in from the Crazy Taco?" Really Zim didn't care how the food tasted in the hospital. Well, he sort of did, but that wasn't why he wanted to get Dib restaurant tacos. He wanted to do it because the act of doing so was special, and he felt he needed to do something special for the pale boy because he seemed to be dealing with the thought of going to school well, he didn't find the boy bleeding from the throat when he came back with soup, and because it seemed like it would be a good incentive not to hurt himself over night, lest he not get the special tacos.

Dib vigorously nodded, a bit of glee in his burnt-orange eyes. Spoon after spoon after spoon of the hospital soup went down, warming and caressing the healing throat. It was flavorful of herbs and was probably the best thing at the hospital, so how would Dib know that their tacos weren't good?Nevertheless he indulged himself in the thought of the offer. Crazy Taco's Tacos. A dreaming bit of a look took hold of his face as his eating motions slowed upon becoming more full.

Zim brought his legs up on the bed to sit cross-legged as he tapped a little at the jello cup that seemed to come with every meal they served at the hospital no matter what the person ordered or who the person was. The stuff looked gross and probably was gross as Dib never really ate it, but then maybe that just had something to do with his sore throat. "Hey Dib?" Zim asked, seeming to lose himself in a trance to the jello's clear green-ness and jiggly-ness.

Dib looked over at Zim, sipping another spoonful of the brownish liquid. He quirked his eyebrow up and set his spoon down so he could hit his palm with his index finger in question.

"Why did you hug me yesterday, just curious." Zim asked, poking the cup to watch it jiggle.

Dib set his spoon down again with a 'chink' after taking another bit of liquid in his mouth.He settled on slowly watching Zim as he poked the green jello, so similar with his own color. Dib brought his hands up and answered the most simplest of ways he could._"I wanted to."_ He went out of his way to sip more soup and continue. _"Why?"_

"You just... wanted to?" Zim asked, tilting his head. "Zim sees lots of people hug at school. Usually it because they're friends." Zim's question was certainly clear through his statement and the irken accent showing through his voice as it often did when he was nervous or anxious.

_"To feel wanted."_ His hands moved slowly as he thought on his next words. _"You to feel wanted. To feel nice. Friend."_

"So, we're friends?" Zim asked, gazing fully at Dib now.

Dib blinked, and a light blush covered his white face. What if Zim didn't feel the same way? It was pretty arrogant for Dib to have just assumed like that. It was rude, too! Now it would be awkward for Zim to tell the truth and just say 'no'.Dib looked down and fumbled with his fingers warefully. He watched his thumbs until he finally forced himself to answer Zim._"I needed it." _Dib motioned to justify his soar mistake. He never really knew anybody before he could call a friend, and thus didn't know how to go about owning one, and this all just felt way to awkward for the poor fourteen-year-old.

Zim seemed to think about it for a moment before pointing to himself, the moving his finger to the center of his forehead and pointing to himself again, he then connected his thumb and fore-finger together, pulling it from his chest and then touching his two fore-fingers together before linking them together, flipping his hands, and then repeating the motion, effectively saying, _"I think I would like to be friends."_

Dib gave a questionable glance at Zim before his face lit up again. He set his food tray more away from him so he could lean forwards to give him an awkward hug that was meant to cement a new found friendship in Zim, however unsure of himself he was at the moment.

Zim loosely hugged Dib back, blushing a little at the awkward way he did it. He never hugged a living thing before, just thing-things, inanimate objects he felt happened the feel affection for.He had to say, he liked hugging living things more.

Dib pulled away after ten seconds. He was sure by that time, that was when normal friends let go during hugs. Anymore and it might have been questioned for 'awkward'. He sat back on the bed, fidgeting nervously with a smile on his face accompanied by the red tent on his cheeks. He used the first sign he had learned to Zim once he was sure it was time for 'normal friends' to start talking to one another again. Already this felt great!

_'No problem,"_ Zim sighed back, smiling a little, his own blue-ish blush not leaving his face.

Dib fidgeted a little, and after a few seconds of nothing being said or signed, Dib scooted up closer to the nurse to sit right next to him.

"What do... friends do?" Zim asked awkwardly, never having had a friend in his whole existence and so naturally unsure of what he was supposed to do.

Dib shrugged slightly. Not even his sister had friends, although, he tried harder than she did and it didn't mean anything to her, he still could grasp this new change.

"Soooo, we're just going to wing it?" Zim asked, looking down at Dib.

The human nodded upon more of that familiar blush. He set his hand down on the bed and started to scratch at the fabric.

"Ok," Zim said, scratching at his wig covered head a little. When he was done doing that he picked up Dib's tray, saying, "I'm going to take this back down to the kitchen and get your ice cream, ok?"

Dib nodded. He often times wondered about Zim eating, too, but kept reminding himself that he was an alien, and they probably didn't even need to eat. He then wondered if his nurse even knew that he knew he was an alien, and had since day one. His thoughts got interrupted by the sound of the door shutting._Oh. Zim left._

Zim looked down at the thin layer of soup that coated the bottom of the bowl as he walked down to the kitchen, wondering how being friends with Dib would affect his mission, and why it mattered so much. He knew he had to complete his mission, oh yes, the Tallest would surely kill him if he betrayed the empire, though he knew if he did fallow through with his plans Dib would surely hate him. His thoughts ran like this as he dropping the dirty dishes off and picked up the ice cream, the bits of water condensing on the bowl stung slightly, but not enough to shake him from his thoughts.

Dib watched and waited for his return like a good little patient. A firm grin place on his lips as he awaited his nurse and ice-cream. His eyes were filled with a simple bit of hope for the alien to return to him like he always did. He and Zim were now friends. He had a friend. This was truly the best thing he could ever remember happening to him. A friend, could you imagine it, Dib, with a friend. However pale and nerdy he was, however mute, silent, but infuriating he was, his nerdy discomposure, and his almost jaded like soul, he finally had somebody who still appreciated him through all of that somehow. Somebody he could indeed call a friend. Somebody like Zim.Right now, that was all that really mattered to the fourteen-year-old boy. However the word of school approaching him sounded like a dark stormy cloud unleashed upon his life, that didn't seem so important anymore.

Zim returned with the ice cream and a smile on his face, placing the bowl of icy goodness on the slidy table for Dib and sitting back at the foot of the bed.

Zim inconspicuously eyed Dib up and down. He didn't SEEM hurt at all, which was good. In just a few days it seemed he'd be out and he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

The human didn't hesitate at all eating his vanilla ice-cream. It seemed he had regained whatever apatite he had lost while being here. The icy food slipped down his tender throat that was quickly picking up and becoming much better.Maybe too quickly.Dib chinked the spoon a few times with each new dip of ice-cream, all the while looking at Zim. At one point he dipped his spoon in to grab some of the desert and hovered his spoon closer to Zim as an offer.

Zim looked at the spoonful of the ice cream, unsure if he should try it or not. It... looked safe enough, so he tried it, wrapping his mouth around the spoon and taking in the cold treat, almost immediately choking on it.

Dib gazed upon him in interest. Was he actually _choking_ on _ice-cream_ He put the spoon back in its glassy bowl and brought his hands up to Zim's shoulders, unsure of how to help.

Once Zim was done coughing up the now melted ice cream he wiped his mouth of the white-ish liquid and said voice still strained from the coughing, "Ok, so ice-cream is another thing I can't eat."

Dib gave him a pitiful look and sighed, going back to eating his ice-cream, and now just staring at Zim with complete discomposure.He looked down at his bowl with a thin layer of melted ice-cream filling it up. He smiled up weakly at the green nurse, trying just so hard to be human.

Zim gave Dib a small, nervous smile, hoping that was a natural reaction for a human with an allergy though he knew Dib wasn't stupid. What he was most afraid of thought was not Dib. No, Dib finding out he could handle, but if Dib accidently said something he was sure he'd be dead.

Dib handed the bowl back to his nurse, grinning slightly at the awkward way Zim tried to take the bowl. He watched the other curiously stand up and went to leave before grabbing his hand, smiling up softly at the other.

Zim looked back at Dib with a curious expression, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. "Something you want while I'm gone?" Zim asked.

Dib opened his mouth like he was about to speak and shook his head in a quick _'no'_ as he pointed under his bed for something.There, Zim found the boy's backpack, probably filled with homework the teen never intended on doing.

The alien then handed the bag to Did, wondering what the boy needed.

He looked around the room as Dib began digging through the bag for something, holding the slightly moist bowl with one hand, ignoring the stinging.

Dib found his prize- pencil box! He took it out, and set his book bag to the side. The plastic surrounding the contents of what was inside was shiny, one half white, the other side green. Dib opened the pencil box, revealing tons of pens and ironed grey-green slits of paper with numbers on them.Dib pulled out two dollars, straitened them out and handed them to Zim with a smug look on his face that practically sung how amazing he was.

Zim took the money between two fingers like they were covered in water, looking a little confused."What's this for?"

Dib shrugged while still wearing his smirk boldly and waved his hand off to Zim proudly.

"Um... what am I supposed to do with it?" Zim asked, looking at the green money a little more closely as if staring in to the dead man's face printed on it would reveal the answers.

Dib's smirk dropped to pout at the other. With his hands he went palm up on them both and grabbed something invisible in one palm to pass it forwards before he twirled a finger in the air aimlessly._"Buy something."_

Zim pouted back, turning his attention away from the little picture on the front of the bill to the live human before him."But it's your money."

Dib nodded, and leaned back in his bed like normal, closing the box of pencils just before putting it back in his backpack. He looked back at Zim, curious to see if his reaction had changed any.

Zim just stared at Dib blankly, blinking his abnormal shaped eye every once in a while.

Dib rolled his eyes and after dropping his backpack onto the floor, flipped his hand up and down at the alien, signaling for him to just go and do whatever.

"O...k..." Zim said, taking a few steps backwards before turning to take the bowl back down, just staring at the two dollars.

Dib folded his arms, laying back and staring at the ceiling some wondering just how one could not be happy receiving free money. That soon left, however, when he heard the door close, and he realized Zim had left.His expression softened and he found himself growing a smile. Zim was so weird!

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI


	6. Chapter 6

Hey there and welcome to chapter six! This is one of my and TSI's fave chapters. It truly is a good one. What makes it so good you ask? Well you'll jsut have to read to find out!

There a re a few minor gramatical errors in this chapter because I was at a friend's house while TSI was rereading it. But try not to dwell on it too much.

Ok, there was a question in a review last chapter by someone who was not logged in so I'll just answer it here.

This person asked about the pencil box and the money and here is how TSI put that whole thing:

"The thing wit hteh money is that was his awkward way of treating a friend, and since he never had a friend before, he didn't quite know how to go about that. He has money, and he keeps it in his pencile box so it won't get stolen, but really, he's got money because of his dad, and that was also kind of his way of showing off. He was just being a bad friend at that moment trying to do good. XD DOn't think too hard about it. It will expload your brain."

I hope that cleared a few things up.

* * *

Zim came back smiling, holding something behind his back, purposefully hiding it from the human.

Dib popped open an eye, noticing both arms behind the other's back in a bent fashion. He hoped the nurse-in-training hadn't bought anything for him when he was supposed to buy something for himself, so he just scowled at the other slightly.

"What, I'll share." Zim said at the notice of Dib's scowl, pouting slightly in retaliation.

Dib rolled his eyes and sighed before a smirk played their way against his lips. He let go of his momentary anger at the other to sit up more comfortably and ask in sign to the other, _"What?"_

Zim walked over to the bed and pulled a bag of color-coated, bite-sized pieces of chocolate from behind his back to show Dib proudly. "Chocolate!" He announced. "Chocolate releases a chemical called endorphins in hum- uh, people, which makes them feel happy. There for it is the perfect medicine. And it melts in your mouth so you don't have to worry about your throat. I figured I should get us a bag to share."

Dib gave him a kind smirk in return.He didn't have to do this for him, but he did. In that alone showed a strange bit of kindness that Dib did not take any hesitation to accept.The pale boy brought his fingers to his lips before dropping his hand; mouthing a _"Thank you,"_ in return as he pulled the blanket off of himself and crawled closer to Zim to zestfully sit near him. The bed was, after all, getting tiring to lie in for so long.

A smash of thunder shook the ground a little and made Zim jump._'Crap...'_ He thought. _'How am I supposed to get home if it starts raining?'_ "Do-do you ever go outside to the gardens?" Zim asked, wondering what Dib did during the day while the alien was at school and trying to get his mind off the oncoming storm as he gave Dib a small handful of the candy.

Dib looked down at the small bits of candy in his hands. He broke them into small pieces as he shook his head 'no', not even bothering to look up at his nurse-in-training. He placed a small piece in his mouth and closed his eyes, sighing heavily into the delicious taste of chocolate. Candy; one thing he never over did it on felt so good at the moment- tasted so nice for him. He never minded the rain that began pitter pattering already, so soon against the window of the boy's room. The blinds were down, hiding whatever grey clouds must have been out there, but not long did it take for the wind to pick up and bang against the window.

Zim's antennae were up and twitching like crazy though he tried to hide his nervousness. "Th-that's too bad. Maybe when the weather clears up I'll take you out there. You really do need fresh air, even if you will only be in here for five more days."

Dib looked up, about to respond to Zim's offer when he saw the fear in the other's green face. His chewing slowed and he twisted his body to face the nurse he sat beside so he could lift a hand up and keep his cheek in his palm.The human peered out at the other in concern and question, fearful for whatever could be wrong with him.

"What?" Zim asked, giving the human an odd, nervous look. "You want something?"

Dib slowly shook his head as he kept his eyes square on the other's. He raised his hand that was on the alien's cheek to feel his forehead. Perhaps he had a fever?That's when a sharp sound of thunder hit, and he saw Zim jump again, antennae rising stiff, before falling flat against his head. _You're scared..._

Zim removed Dib's hand from his face, holding it in his own, not letting go as a small wave of comfort washed over him."Do-do you know if the hospital gift shops sell umbrellas?" He asked the human, looking back at the window as if a monster would jump through it and eat his head off any minute.

Dib once more shook his head as he kept his eyes on the other. He swallowed down the melted bit of chocolate in his mouth, dropped the pieces he still had onto the bed, and tried his bed with his left hand to ask Zim if he'd be alright.

"Yeah," Zim said with a nervous smile and nod. "No worries. It's just a little water. It's not like it could hurt me or anything." With a small laugh that screamed 'LIEING' he popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

Dib narrowed his eyes at the other. The alien's nervousness was seeping too deep to the other. Dib adjusted his hand in Zim's to grab it back to let the other know it was alright._"Do you want to check?"_

"No, not right now." Zim sighed, shivering a little at how cold everything felt when it rained before eating a few more pieces of chocolate. "I will on my way out though."

Dib seemed to pick up on this strange reaction Zim had. He concentrated on the sound of the rain coming down harder, and then at the cold hand he was holding. Questions slowly began to come up in his alien-curious mind, but he never dared breaking Zim's trust by asking. He scooted closer to the other and leaned his left arm against Zim's right to perhaps share the body warmth with him. He thought back on the blanket they were sitting on, and debated letting go of Zim's hand for long enough to pull it up and wrap it around them, but ultimately decided he didn't want to risk the chance of not getting Zim's hand back.

Zim found himself leaning back against Dib, sighing some hair out of his face as he listening to the deadly acid pound against the hospital's window, singing his doom to him should he leave the safety of the building.

The more the two sat together, the more Dib found himself trapped in his own thoughts, jumping from idea to idea, more thought to thought.It was, after all, just so peculiar that he'd be sitting this way with an alien. It was just so peculiar that despite how cold the other's skin really was, the warmer the human got from this. How strange was it to have an alien for a nurse.

Zim played with the edges of the bag of candy absent mindedly, unable to help another startled jump when lightning flashed and his eyes darted to the clock.

He still had three more hours left to go, but it didn't sound like the storm would pass quickly at all.Dib lifted his head slightly to see Zim's scared expression. His mind went harder to ponder how he could help his alien nurse.Then it hit him.He let go of Zim's hand, grabbed the chocolate that was dropped onto the bed, and popped them in his mouth as he carefully slid off the bed, giving an uneasy wobble from lying down for too long. He caught his balance and quickly began stripping the bed of its pillow and blanket, despite Zim still sitting on a spot on the bed.

Zim looked at the human curiously, mind temporarily taken from his fear of water to whatever it was Dib was doing and moving when necessary. "What..." He asked after a little bit. "Are you doing?"

Dib smiled back innocently at the other as he held the pillow in one hand as he outstretched the other for Zim to take, to help lead him away from whatever anxiety about H2O he may have.

Zim took the human's hand, setting down their sweet treat as he hopped off the bed to stand next to Dib. Knowing he couldn't answer but needing to ask the boy anyway, Zim asked, "What's going on?"

Dib struggled and grabbed Zim's candy, placing it back in the other's claws as he peeled off more of the blanket. He took a hold of Zim's hand once more while ignoring his question to lead him to his door, stumbling here or there, to get to the door, but eventually managing it. He stood at his door and grinned back at the alien as he grabbed the doorknob with the hand still holding the pillow and blankets.

Zim pouted at the human teen but went along with him, grabbing a bit of the bundle Dib was holding to help him.

Slyly, the two, lead by Dib, sneaked down the halls of the hospital. Dib took a right. A left. Another left. A right again. He stumbled here and there, getting use to his legs once more until he stopped in front of an elevator.Of course a few doctors and nurses walked by, curiously watching the two, but shrugged it off.

Zim held off on his questioning, looking around every now and then and hoping he wasn't going to get in trouble for any of this.

The elevator doors open with a push of a button. Dib lead them both into the elevator where he pressed the bottom button.He smiled up at Zim as the elevator dropped sending them to the bottom floor. It dinged, opening the doors to reveal a dark room full of janitor equipment and the sort. The floor was made out of concrete and it smelt a bit like lemony freshness.It was quiet here, though. Dib took Zim's hand once more and led him into the room where he continued walking with the other.

Zim looked around with childlike curiosity at every little thing before clearing his through and saying, "Um... Dib... is this, like, a janitorial closet?" His antennae twitched with the very feint sound of rain, so feint it was easily ignored by the green skinned alien.

Dib gave a smug smirk, shaking his head full of black, shiny hair 'no', as he neared a door. He twisted the door knob, opening it and tossed the blanket with pillow in the small storage space next to the mop and utensils and signed with his now free hand _"This is."_

"Oh," Zim said, leaning in to look around the small closet before leaning back up to look at Dib, asking and signing, "Why?"

Very faint thunder cracked, but it sounded more like a soft roar through the building. Dib let go of Zim's hand to sign better. _"No sound."_ And with that, he snatched up the other's hand once again and took him into the small room with him where he didn't at all hesitated closing the door behind them, entrapping the two in a small dark room with janitorial items, a blanket, and a pillow.

"I see." Zim said, thankful for his good eye sight so he'd still be able to communicate with Dib in the darkness of the room. Steadily he sat down on the blanket, blushing a little as he brought his knees up to his chest and said, "Thanks."

Dib followed suit, felt around before finding Zim's claws. He wrapped them around his hand and outstretched a finger to let Zim feel him say _"You"_ before he let Zim's claws land on the palm of his hand as he brought it to his chest, letting Zim very well feel and know what he was saying was _"You're welcome."_ completely and utterly unaware of his alien eyes being able to see this alone.

Zim felt Dib's hands under his own, feeling the differences between his finger like claws and Dib's five digits, wondering back to Dib's story about an alien dying from germs, knowing full well he was safe from most of the planet's germs and viruses, but still ever wondering just how much Dib suspected him of being an alien.

Dib dropped Zim's claws. It was really quiet in here. His being mute added no help in the room either; not that he minded much. He had gotten use to silence, the comfort of being quiet.The young teen grabbed the blanket from under and around them, and picked it up, carefully putting it around Zim's cold shoulders, and then his own. He scooted over, closer to Zim with pillow in arm to add onto the comfort, and he stared blindly into the dark towards where he assumed his nurses' face was as if he could actually see it to study.

Zim linked his arm with one of Dib's, taking in the warmth the boy had to offer though knowing they only had less than a few hours before he had to leave, allowing himself to get comfortable.

The human smiled down at his arm, fidgeting the inside of his elbow against the inside of Zim's elbow, feeling their flesh meet and rub. It was so strange that something so little could make him so happy, but he ignored all that. He sighed in content and rested his head against Zim's arm as he turned his body to half lie down on his side. How wonderful this Zim was.

"You're really strange, you know that?" Zim sighed, looking down at the human against him curiously. "Didn't you used to hate me?"

Dib looked back up at him, his brows turned up in concern. He grabbed Zim's hands in his own and spoke back. _"Should I?"_

"No," Zim said quickly, shaking his head though knowing the action was lost on the human. "No, no, no. I don't want you to hate me."

Dib stared on into the dark towards Zim's voice. He traced the tips of his fingers up along the length of Zim's claws before making him feel more of his words through his hands. _"I __won't__ now."_

"Cause we're friends now, right?" Zim asked, wondering to himself why he was making friends with this human, what made him want friends in the first place? He'd never felt lonely at all before meeting Dib. But somehow he did now when he wasn't with the human, like when he was at home or school. Lonely was such an awful cold feeling, one he didn't know how to deal with all too well, the only real cure being going to work and seeing Dib, teaching him to sign and watching him carry on conversations with his hands.

Dib paused for a few seconds, thinking it over to verify it for himself before nodding against Zim's arm. Nothing made more sense, or less sense now that he met Zim, so he just alowed for the simple answer against his arm.Dib found himself playing with the other's hand in his more and more, feeling around in as he slowly brought it closer to himself. He took it under his chin and in front of his chest to try to adjust his eyes into seeing it as he felt it more, desiring its nearness.

Zim watched Dib play with his hand, putting his own cheek on Dib's head and sighing in relief.It felt so good to have a friend.

Dib felt the warmth of the blanket soothing them nicely and he curled his hand under Zim's claws to write a 'Z' on his palm, followed by an upwards pinky he made as an 'I', and then pushing three fingers against his palm for an 'M', spelling out his Nurse's name.

Zim rewarded Dib with a short laugh, gripping Dib's fingers tightly in his claws as they leaned against each other, both supporting and being supported by one another.

The human boy snuggled up closer, seething a sigh in Zim's hold, while also holding his arm in his before closing his eyes, enduring the heavenly feeling overcoming him. It didn't take long before the combination of the dark, plus the warmth of the body, plus the pillow in his arms, as well as the heat being kept by the blanket, and Dib's own human instincts going off about the rain soothed his eyes shut, making him a tad bit sleepy, however much he wouldn't admit it to the other if he was asked.

Zim rubbed Dib's back with the hand not taken hostage by the human's own, his antennae twitching with the cold of the room though on the whole he ignored it, instead concentrating on Dib, feeling his blood rushing slower in relaxation and his chemicals changing, coming off the high boost of energy the bit of chocolate gave him.

Dib made sure to rub his cheek against Zim's arm, snuggling it as he slowly drifted half way between sleep and awakeness. He gently let go of Zim's claws to twist his body to face Zim, now grabbing hold of the other's shoulder with his now free hand, just so he could snuggle better.

Zim shifted a little uncomfortably, unsure if he liked the way Dib clung to him like that but not doing anything about it, knowing the boy was going through a hard time and was tired and probably never got much attention as Zim was the only one who really gave a damn about his condition other than the money happy doctors who don't care that Dib's stay in the hospital keeps getting prolonged as it just gets them more money. He found himself wrapping protective arms around Dib's back, embracing Dib's embrace, making a silent promise that he would never let anyone hurt his only friend.

And thus, the human fell asleep, as was apparent as his breathing became labored and his weight increased against Zim as he fully relaxed.There was no sense of time in this small black room. There was no way to tell if the rain continued or not. It just felt like peace in this room at the moment.

After a while though Zim knew they had to get back to the room, either someone would worry about them or Zim would get in trouble for staying after visiting hours were over. So, with that, he wrapped the blanket fully around the human and picked him up, pillow and all. "Let's go," He said quietly to the sleeping human, carrying him out of the small closet and up a few floors to his room.

The boy clutched onto Zim's red-grey shirt, stirring just slightly at his ever movement. The ding of the elevator added on with the bright yellow light that came with it when the doors opened caused the pale teen to squint his eyes upon opening them. He looked up at Zim in confusion while the alien pressed his room's floor button.

Zim almost didn't notice Dib's eyes opening, but when he did he looked down at the human with a smile, saying, "You fell asleep, didn't want to wake you, sorry."

Dib looked around quickly as the elevator before turning and twisting in Zim's arms, beginning to feel rather embarrassed at the hold as his pride deplenished rather quickly. He made sure to pout in the hold, his fingers digging more in a tighter grasp into the breast of Zim's shirt.

Zim simply snickered, asking, "Want down?" In a very teasing manner.

Dib puffed his cheeks out and gave a rather quick nod.

Zim smirked and bent down as if to set the boy down gently before pulling back up and shaking his head, saying, "Nope, sorry, but if you fall and hurt yourself the hospital could be held reliable and we don't want that now do we?"

Dib went to grit his teeth together in anger when the elevator suddenly halted with a 'ding', causing the boy to accidently bite his tongue. His eyes flew up in pain and his forehead quickly fell back down against Zim's shoulder in great distaste, frustration, and anger.

"You ok?" Zim asked, concerned for the boy, finally setting him down in worry.

Dib stood before the alien in a lump of blanket and pillow. His hair was a mess and he didn't seem pained anymore. A devious grin grew upon his lips and he turned away from the other while the elevator doors opened for him, allowing him to dart off into the halls without his nurse.

Zim stood there, mouth agape for a while before shaking his head and darting out after Dib, growling a little at himself for being tricked like that.

Dib only smirked wider as the blankets around him turned up and flapped as he proudly held it as a cape in-between his grasp of that and his pillow. His little human feet tapped the floor with every barefooted step he took. He took great pleasure in taking turns here and there, trying to get as far away from his friend as possible in this light chase.

"Diiib!" Zim yelled in a hushed voice so as not to wake anyone sleeping or alert anyone to the fact that he was chasing his patient over the hospital.

Dib continued running in joyous fun. He checked back at Zim as cut a corner, knowing the direction of his room perfectly. Oh yes; this was all fun up to the point he ran into his doctor, causing them both to fall at the paper went everywhere, when the man made a surprise noise and stared at his patient in shock, then up to the nurse nearing and slowing down at Dib.

Zim panted slightly, kneeling down next to Dib to check if he was alright, signing and asking, "Are you ok?"

Dib looked up with wide orange eyes but nodded his okay. He grabbed his pillow and took the blanket that was keeping him so warm from around his shoulder to tie with his pillow, however more cold it made him now.His doctor just watched for a moment before picking up the rest of his papers and standing up. "Zim, what is Dib doing?" Dr. Wallace asked in a soothing yet confused voice. He didn't seem angered at all.

"Oh, um," Zim rubbed the back of his head nervously, wondering what one should say at a time like this. "Well, Dib doesn't get much exercise, so I thought it would be good to, uh, take a few laps?"

"Good thinking, Zim!" The doctor grinned broadly, showing off his shining white teeth and giving the green nurse a thumbs up sign.Dib walked obediently over towards Zim and hid near him, just peeking an eye over his shoulder to see the flashy smile Dr. Wallace presented them. Although, Zim could feel it in his antennae that Dib's mood drastically dropped at the man's reaction.

"Th-thanks," The alien said, giving him a thumbs up back before turning back to Dib and saying dramatically, "Well I think that' enough for today, why don't we get you back into bed?"

Dib's eyes dropped and he nodded sullenly, leaving the doctor to go back walking to whichever way he was going and Dib taking hold of Zim's claws to have him lead him.

Zim pulled Dib along back to his room and leaned against the door as it shut behind them, sighing in relief. "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked once he was calm.

Dib nodded and moved over to the bed. He tossed the blanket and pillow back on it before climbing back into the bed, back into the lying position he was so use to.

"Ok," Zim nodded, moving over to sit on the bed feeling kind of awkward now, like Dib wasn't ok and didn't want to tell him, his antennae tingling with the feeling.

Dib fiddled with his fingers for a bit before he remembered something. He took in a breath and signed something to Zim. _"You forgot candy_

Zim blinked confusedly at Dib for a bit, before smacking his forehead and saying, "I did!"

Dib's face brightened at Zim's reaction. He pulled himself further into the bed, tucking himself in and smirking deviously at Zim once more like when they were in the elevator, slowly getting over the disappointment he felt earlier by that man he bumped into.

"What, what's that look for?" Zim asked, blushing in embarrassment at having forgotten their snack in the dark closet.

_"Nothing."_ Was all the alien got by the smug boy's hands.

"No, it's' not nothing," Zim whined, stomping his foot like a child. "Now tell me!"

Dib's smirk grew larger and he put more emphasis on his word as he repeated the hand motions to Zim._"Nothing."_

Zim crossed his arms and glared at Dib, biting his lip in an effort not to yell at the human sitting across from him.

Dib soon waved it off, truly having nothing to say to Zim but enjoying his reactions nevertheless. He took his notebook from his table and began to draw more cartoons of him and Zim.

Zim 'hmph'ed and went to get his stuff in his back pack together, almost not noticing the fact that it was raining still until he saw a flash of lightening and heard the thunder, causing him to jump back in shock.

Dib looked up at Zim instantly. Concern filled his face much like it had before they went off to the closet. He looked at the window that they had, together, ignored the pitter patter thanks to their own lives, and back at Zim. A frown covered his worried face.

"Well," Zim said, acting as though that had never happened as he looked up at the clock. "I have only a half an hour until I have to leave. I'll be sure to bring those tacos tomorrow."

Dib nodded sadly at the other. He wrote in his notebook before holding it up and handing it to Zim._Planning on leaving early? I'm sure the gift shop has umbrellas._

Zim read the note before shaking his head 'no'. "I'm not leaving early." He said. "That would be unprofessional and would cut in to my time with you."

Dib quirked his head to the side much like a dog who heard a word signaling a reward. _"Time with me?" _His hands asked for him. He cracked a small smile. "_You like time with me?"_ Of course he did! He was Dib's friend! But this was just so strange, so nice, so unique to hear.

"Yes," Zim nodded. "You're really the only person I want to be with right now."

Dib gave a small smile at that, and, retrieving his notebook, softly writing back._You're the only person I want to be with as well._

"Good, then there will be no fighting over you." Zim laughed lightly, going back over to sit on the bed once all his stuff was together."Thanks," He said, giving Dib a smile and signing out Dib's first signed word.

Dib smiled brighter and shook his head, only to return the very same sign back to him. The warm feeling over him growing even warmer.

"Well, that and for distracting me from the rain." Zim said, looking down, a little ashamed of himself for letting him show that much fear in front of anyone.

Dib shook his head again and with both hands, took a hold of one of Zim's, showing him his brightest of smiles to tell him it was alright, and that they were friends.

Zim gave Dib a smile and, though hesitating at first, leaned forward to give the human a hug, resting his head against Dib's shoulder.

The pale boy inhaled nervously at that bold move his nurse presented him with. He withdrew a breath however, he brought his arms around the other and embraced him back. Noting Zim's scent as he breathed him in the nice grasp. Of all the times he wished he could talk, now was it. He dared just whispered it to himself.

Zim tense a little, swearing he just heard Dib- no, he relaxed, Dib can't talk, but something was still bothering him.Zim chose to ignore this nagging feeling in the back of his head until later, snuggling his head into Dib's neck.

The moment felt perfect. Everything felt perfect. Dib couldn't shake this feeling, however, that his heart wanted to just implode right there from the wonderfulness that surrounded him. He tried to shrug it off, but it nagged him.The boy smiled into it. It was his alien making him feel comfortable, it must have been. Every bit of him that was touching the other seemed to tingle and ache at the same time, but in the most delicious of ways. It told him to continue holding him, but Dib felt too nervous about his new friend being weirded out to keep it there, so slowly, he let himself slip from Zim just ever so slightly so if Zim wanted to continue holding him he could.

Zim pulled back a little to look at the clock, he still had fifteen minutes left, so he pulled back complete to use that time to say, "Don't you dare hurt yourself. You will be going back to school in five days, got that?"

Dib's expression fell despite the bliss that was still placed over him from the hug, but he nodded. Things sure did get awkward between the two quickly for Dib.

Zim sighed at the sight of Dib's expression and used his hands to sign and say, "Please tell me you'll be alright."

_"I will."_ Dib signed back, his smile trying to come back in place with slight difficulties that Dib would rather ignore at the moment.

"Good," Zim said and signed, giving Dib another short hug. "I'm gonna let Julie know I'm leaving, see you tomorrow?"

Dib nodded.Zim had said he wasn't leaving early. Did that long awkward hug do it for Zim?Dib regretted it instantly.

"Alright then," Zim said, standing up and pausing for a moment before giving Dib a small wave and heading to the door, calling out once he had the door open, "Julie?"

"What?" She snapped back from down the hall, obviously use to other nurses treating her this way.

Zim stepped out of the room, letting the door close as he said, "I'm heading out a little early, I left something down stairs for Dib, so I'm going to go get that real quick first, ok?"

"Sure, whatever. I'll mark you on the board and-" Her voice trailed off, soon becoming too lazy to yell down to the distance to where Zim was.

Zim just nodded and got in the elevator, heading all the way down until he got to the bottom floor, the rains noise fading the farther down he went. He headed right to the closet once the doors opened, opening the door and spotting the candy right away on a shelf which he grabbed. He headed back to the elevator with the chocolate in hand and pressed Dib's floor once more heading up.Once there he made his way back to the boy's room, knocking on the door quietly before peaking inside.

Dib was all curled up on the bed, face red from frustrated thoughts, but he immediately perked up when he saw Zim, having assumed he'd just leave earlier. _"Zim."_

"Hey, thought I'd bring you something before I left." Zim said with a small smile, walking in and putting the candy on the bed side table.

Dib stared at his nurse in slight shock, but stayed exactly as he was in his bed, not expecting to sit and have a conversation with the other. He brought his fingers from his lips down, in another _"Thank you"_ like he had been doing so often with the alien. A small smile crept up on his face despite the harsh feelings he was dissolved in at the moment.

"No problem," Zim signed and said, taking a few steps back before waving good-bye and turning to leave.

And just like that, he left again, leaving Dib back to his thoughts like he was in just before.Still though, his eyes stayed on the bag of candy just across from himself. The bag was so shiny, decked out in color here and there. He reached out and grabbed some chocolate that Zim should have bought just for himself.

Zim dashed down to gift shop once he was clear of Dib's door, finding an umbrella and buying it. He looked out the glass doors at the dark wetness beyond before sighing and making his way out, opening the umbrella to shield him.

With every dangerous step Zim took did the pitter pattering tip, tip, tap the plastic curtain of the umbrella. The wind twisted and turned the way the rain hit, and unfortunately for Zim, the heaven's tears and the puddles on the sidewalk had nothing against hitting his legs that were only covered by a thin cotton red nurse's pants. By this time, half way home, they were already sopping wet and taunting Zim's skin by brushing up against them every step he took.

Zim bent down to keep his arms covered up and protected from the sky acid. By the time he got home his legs were covered burns and he had small, dark green spots on his arms from where he just couldn't protect himself. He was soooooo relieved when he finally got home out of the rain, sliding back against the door once it was closed."Master, are you alright?" The SIR unit asked from the couch."I'm fine, just get me the burn cream." Zim said, standing up carefully to pull his scrub pants off."There's none left, Master, you used the last of it the last time it rained." The SIR unit said with a salute. "Shall I open a line with the Tallest to request more?" "Yes, do so now." Zim said, pulling on another pair of pants that were folded on the couch, waiting to be put up by the little malfunctioning robot.The SIR walked over to the television set and pressed a button on the top of it, the screen going from some children's show to black, blinking letter's signaling it was waiting for a reply from the receiving end.

The screen didn't take long before a tall, slindered violet eyed alien of the very same skin as Zim appeared.It was a female with rather long antennae that curled just slightly at the end. Her eyes were shape oddly like Zim's, only gave way for a little bit more slant. Unlike Zim, who had been wearing a wig, she was hairless, and had a fitting robe on, matching the very same color as her eyes. Small chains and links hung from her form, neck and antennae, glimmering just slightly by the light of her transmition to Zim."Invader Zim, what is your report?" The tall being spoke with a soothing voice which could remind somebody of smoke drifting in the air.

"Nothing much, My Tallest." Zim said, bowing his head respectfully and giving his leader a salute with his antennae. "I'm, unfortunately, only calling in need of supplies. My search for information on this stupid filth ball has taken a temporary hold, five days at the most."Zim looked back up at his leader as he finished, hoping he wasn't going to get a firm scolding for his small delay, knowing the beautiful Tallest was already upset with him for his lack of information as it was.

The taller heaved out a sigh, closing her eyes in momentary thought. She opened them more slowly to give a firm, desperate look at the other, smaller Irken. "You haven't called in seventeen days, Invader Zim. And the growth you've displayed..." Her voice slowed some, as she looked down in thought and consideration. "I will look that other way due to the height advancement you've made, Invader Zim, but you do need to be more thorough with me. We don't want a repeat of training, do we?"The tall superior being held her head and grimaced as she suddenly remembered such a prideful short Zim not reporting on any problems occurring as his machine malfunctioned in training.

Zim looked a little surprised. He'd totally forgot about his growth due to everything that had been happening with Dib over the past few days."Oh, of course," Zim said with a quick bow of his head. "I shall have a full report done for you by the end of the week. I promise." Zim pushed a button on the monitor and a key board popped out of the bottom."I'm send you a list of the things I need now. When can I expect them?"

The tallest waved her hand and sighed with aspiration. "I'll send them to you once I receive your list. I don't know how long it will take for _you_ to receive this stuff, though." She seemed irritated.

"Yes, of course My Tallest." Zim said quickly, bowing fully in hopes of forgiveness, his antennae back in submission and humility.

She didn't hesitate one bit to turn the transition off without a 'goodbye' to Zim. All of this 'Irth' thing with Zim was rather troubling. He always gave her such a bad feeling, and now with his increased height, she worried he might very well surpass her in power.

Zim sighed and pulled is wig off to help him cool down, his face warm with worry and embarrassment. "SIR!" He called, plopping himself down on the couch as the children's show came back on. "Yes, my Master!?" The SIR unit asked with a salute. "Get the numbing cream and some medical supplies." Zim said, pulling his pants off once more to examine his burns.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib/Wallace: TSI


	7. Chapter 7

WOO! And welcome to exciteing, lucky chapter 7!

* * *

Dib happily sat in his bed, his fingers twiddling together. He stared at his door eagerly, knowing today was the day he could eat _real _food.But, today, he wasn't just going to have any food, either. Today he was going to get Taco's from Zim. Dib looked back at the candy still on his desk. He had picked through them all night as he sat alone, but today was different. He'd be able to eat just like Zim.For him to eat real food is to say Dib was fully healed and back to normal exactly aside from the fact he could no longer speak. Still, however, it felt overwhelming and great for him to take a step up- and for Zim to present that step for him with a taco.

Zim ran up the stairs to the fourth floor where Dib was, not wanting to wait for the slow elevator, hoping to make up for the time he took getting tacos on the way to the way to work."I'm here!" He announced, holding up his bag of tacos dramatically as he burst through the door with a pant, the jacket he was wearing, billowing a little from his sudden stop.

Dib went agaped, and turned his blanket over to sit up writ and fall down to his hands and knees, way too excited to get the real food from Zim. His eyes went from the food to the cold green face of his nurse panting from the rush. His cheeks were blue and his antennae were stiffened. Dib just smiled in glee.

"I see you've been waiting for me." Zim said with a small smile, walking over to Dib and sitting on the bed next to him."I wasn't sure what kind of tacos you liked, so I just got a few of them." He said, holding the bag out for the human.

Dib didn't hesitate to take a juicy looking soft taco out of the bag, and give the bag back to his nurse. He joyously told the other thank you in sign language as he started fiddling with the wrapping paper around the taco. He opened it up, and looked onto the taco. He didn't care what was in it. It looked so juicy, so good. He held it just far enough away from his lips to enjoy the taunting smell it exhausted. His eyes opened just slightly to look at Zim, happy, and grateful.

Zim set the other tacos aside and hopped off the bed to put his bag somewhere else in the room, not really caring about his homework, just wanting to watch Dib enjoy the food he had gotten for the human.

Dib's eyes softly closed and he raised his head as the taste slid down his throat. Real food, not hospital food was being chewed by the patient. It was the best food the human had known for a while, perhaps because it was the only real food he had for a while. It didn't matter however. He'd be able to swallow now.And down his throat it went. Dib flinched, his whole body becoming tense.

"Are you ok?" Zim asked, sitting back down on the bed next to Dib to rub his back. "Is it too much too soon?"

Dib quickly shook his head while tears built up and silent coughs pushed through tagged along with a small noise from the human's broken voice box. He gripped his hand onto Zim's shoulder, head down and concentrating on swallowing until it finally went down. The human let out a gasp and rubbed the tears from his eyes with his wrist.

"Maybe it is too much for right now." Zim said, scratching Dib's back lightly, hoping it was comforting the boy in pain. "Want me to get you something else?"

The human enthusiastically shook his head, and instantly took another, larger bite into the soft taco to show his nurse he was fine. A bit of lettuce fell from his lip, as he turned to show his full cheeks to the other.

"Ok," Zim sighed, shaking his head. "Just be sure to chew thoroughly." With that he got up to get Dib's medication, shifting his jacket on his shoulders, the air around him much to warm to be wearing it but wanting to hide the adhesive band-aids covering his bigger burns.

Dib took to heart what Zim said and made sure each chew counted. He tried swallowing again. It still hurt, but it was getting better. Dib's eyes flew up to Zim, noticing the little shifting the jacket he had on went. Shrugging it off, however, he ate more, and enjoyed more of his taco.

"Better?" Zim asked, taking Dib his pills and a cup of water, setting them down on the bed side table for Dib when he was done with his taco.

Dib nodded, taking the final bites of his taco before licking his fingers of the juices that had slipped out onto them and taking the paper-cup of water to his lips to drink.

"Good," Zim said with a nod. "Want me to get you a juice or something?" The alien asked, shifting his jacket once more, his antennae perking up at the happy feeling Dib was emitting.

Dib paused, blinked, blinked some more, and smiled. He gave his own nod just as his fingers found their way to a hard taco, which he promptly ignored for a soft taco, feeling he didn't just yet want a hard shell to swallow.

"Alright, be right back." Zim said, turning to run down to the second floor to get Dib his juice, hoping to get some air on him to cool him down.

Dib smiled down at his food, just watching it thoughtfully. Zim had changed so much since he first became his nurse, and not just his height. The more he thought about it, the more it came to be something familiar like Zim had been talking about the day before with Dib being nicer. He set his taco aside and fell back against his pillow.

Zim came back up with a grape juice in a clear plastic cup which he set on the bedside table for Dib. "Are you done?" He asked, tapping the table next to the pills. "Don't forget your medication."

Dib sat back up and grabbed his pills and drink, taking it accordingly like he was suppose to. He sipped on his drink a few more times before he set it down to sign._"Why do you like me?"_ Dib asked the best he could. _"I can't talk."_

"That might be why I like you." Zim said and signed jokingly, giving Dib a small 'heh' at the end.

Dib frowned and shook his head, unsatisfied by this answer. _"Why do you like me?"_

"I don't know." Zim said and signed with a sigh. "I really don't know.""But, on the other hand, why do you like me?"

Dib almost blatantly pointed out that he liked Zim because he was an alien, but had to stop himself short to find new reasons. He sighed, thought, and thought some more before his hands formed his words._"You're nice. You notice me. You're not blind."_

"Well, you know you're kinda like that with me." Zim said, his hands matching his words."Hey! It's not raining!" Zim said suddenly, peaking out the window. "Why don't we go outside?"

Dib looked behind his shoulder at Zim. It had been too long since he had been out; even before he went to the hospital, he was still always cooped inside for the fear of the pollution and pesticides and whatever else could be floating around would wound his throat more. He almost feared the sun now. Just imagine the sunburn he'd get after five minutes in the cold for the sun to reflect upon his white face.Still, however. Zim wanted to go outside, so it couldn't hurt.Dib nodded for him to be taken out.

"Great!" Zim said, getting Dib a wheel chair as patients were not allowed to walk around at the risk of falling and filing a law suit against the hospital. Not that Zim minded at all, at least Dib was going to go outside. And it was such a nice day! Minus, of course, the jacket he was wearing.

Dib heaved a heavy sigh and sat himself down into the wheelchair, feeling his pride slowly deplenish with every second he sat with Zim holding the handles.

"Now let's go." Zim said, pushing the chair to the elevator and getting in when it opened for them, smiling to himself at getting Dib outside, knowing in the long run it would be better for the human. All the statistics said so.

The elevator dinged, letting them both out. Dib sunk further in the chair when he saw light pour in from the outside through the glass double doors. He looked up at Zim with a pitiful expression which plainly said 'take me back', however well he was letting the other wheel him.

Zim pushed Dib outside and took him around the building to where the gardens were where the patients could hang around outside in a supervised location.

Dib looked around. The bright light had forced Dib's eyes to squint. The cool breeze made the human huddle himself for warmth. However displeasing the sun and air was, the fragrance was amazing, and Dib's nose took to smelling.

"You ok?" Zim asked, leaning down to look Dib in the face. He seemed ok, which relieved the alien greatly, so he took the human to sit under a large tree the moving to sit in front of him.

Dib looked up at the shade bringing branches and then back down to the nurse sitting right in front of him. He smiled at his efforts and began drawing circles in the dirt below him idly.

Zim poked Dib's nose, asking, "What do you do when I'm not around anyway. Must be dreadfully boring."

Dib swat at the offending claws before covering his poor button nose with a pout. When he felt his nose was suddenly cured of whatever had been bothering it, he signed in response. _"Write. Sleep. Write. Sleep."_

"I was right. Sounds EXCEDINGLY boring." Zim said with a small laugh. "At least you only have four more days left."

_"I would like to stay."_ Dib signed with his eyes intense on Zim's. It seemed to set the whole air around them just one level heavier with just the share stare Dib gave his nurse.

Zim was silent for a moment before he looked up at Dib, asking, "You don't want to go to school with me? We'd get to spend more time together."

Dib looked slightly frustrated at the other. _"We are together alone here for hours."_

"Yeah, but here you're killing yourself." Zim pouted out, giving Dib a not-so-impressed look. "Why can't you just trust me to take care of you. I do it well enough here don't I?"

Dib's hands dropped to his lap and he gave Zim a pained expression, however much he was giving up on trying to speak with his hands. He knew it; his nurse just didn't understand the torments he received at school, and that this was still going to be just such a difficult transition.

Zim sighed and drew his knees up so he could rest his head on them, looking up at Dib concernedly. "Are you ok?"

Dib gave a smirk and threw a hand up in the air that said _"OK!"_ Though in actuality, the boy didn't feel okay at all. He felt sick to his stomach at the thought of having to go to such a crude place.

"You sure," Zim asked, clearly stating with just the tone of his voice that he didn't believe Dib at all.

Dib's expression dropped a little, but was soon replaced with a softer smirk as he folded his arms to shrug Zim off. He felt too lazy at the moment to use brain power to remember hand signals, and he didn't want the other to worry about him. He'd just rather shrug it off there.

"All right," Zim breathed, pulling out some grass, not exactly liking how Dib just kind of ignored his worry.

Dib's eyes went back up to the leaves on the tree once again. He watched the pattern the wind gave it as it cast its shadows on the earth below. He eyes fell to Zim. He looked like a pouting child who just settled on what his mother had nagged him on. This caused a real smile to fall on Dib's lips and he copied what Zim was doing by picking at his own blades of grass.

"Are you alright out here?" Zim asked, looking back up from his leaves to Dib, his head tilted to the side as he watched the human. "Are you uncomfortable at all, need me to get you anything?"

Dib looked up and gave a questionable glance to Zim. He didn't want to risk the chance of saying 'I'm cold' for the alien to abandon him to get him a blanket. Thus, the pale boy took a hold of Zim's sleeve to make sure he'd stay, and shook his head.

"You sure," Zim asked, moving his legs down into a crossed form to hide the bandages peeking out from under the edge of his pants, on his ankles.

Dib tugged on his sleeve tighter. He gave a small nod in return, but couldn't help but let his eyes just dart all over the ground in contemplation of wondering how to get warmer.

Zim moved over to sit next to Dib his antennae quivering in empathy for Dib. He could tell the human was uncomfortable, but didn't want to push the human to tell him, so instead he scooted closer, hoping to give the human at least some comfort with his presence if nothing else.

Dib's head perked up softly at the action Zim gave him but soon drooped when he saw the jacket the other was wearing. He smiled at thought and took hold of his nurse's zipper in between his finger and thumbs and began unzipping it with a "vrip" sound accompanying him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Zim asked, giving Dib an odd look, his hands up defensively.

Dib never minded Zim and began peeling off the sleeves of one of Zim's arms, instantly scooting in and sticking his arm through the empty sleeve before he gave himself a chance to see the bandages on Zim's arm. Unaware of that, however, he moved in closer and used this to arm himself up on Zim, sticking his free hand under the back of the jacket and up to warm up as well.

Zim tried to scoot away from the human, finding himself regrettably trapped against the tree behind him. "Are you cold or something, cause you know I can get you a blanket." Zim said, hiding his arm behind his back.

Dib pridefully shook his head 'no'. The last thing he wanted at the moment was for Zim to leave him. He just absorbed all of the warmth he could from the body he plastered himself against. It was soothing, so very soothing.

Zim blushed deeply at Dib's closeness, how could the human be comfortable like that?"Are-are you sure?" The alien asked, looking around for a possible escape route.

Dib looked up, noting the curious bit of blue on his face. He nodded and dropped his head to Zim's shoulder. It was warm, nice, and all the while comforting. For a moment, Dib felt that not even his father could take this away from him.

Zim just sighed and shook his head, saying, "Alright," As he wrapped his arms around Dib, resting his chin against Dib's head. The cool breezes soothed his burns slightly anyway.

Dib, just as he was getting comfortable and he closed his eyes, that's when a deep voice rang up in question."What are you two doing?" Dr. Wallace asked, a slight chuckle to the end of the question as he stared at the two teens huddled for warmth under the tree. He obviously could get what was going on, but would rather hear it from them anyway.

Zim's antennae snapped up before his eyes moved up to the doctor, and all he wanted to do at that moment was snap for the doctor to mind his own business before he remembered what his patient was up to WAS his business so he simply said, "Keeping warm."

The man chuckled again, writing something down on his clipboard as he did.By the man, Dib felt slightly uncomfortable doing this, and instinctively slowly pulled away from the green nurse, but not without seeing the bandages on his arm while he did it. He looked up at Zim and back at the doctor."Well, carry on." The doctor waved his hand without taking a second glance at the two.

Zim glared at the doctor, not liking the suggestive way the man talked to them but his antennae quickly went back to Dib, asking, "That is why you're invading my jacket right?"Zim couldn't help but find humor at his own choice of words.

Dib blushed, a frown growing on his prideful face as he had been caught. He just stuck his nose in the air, however, and while crossing his arms, shook his head 'no'. He wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Oh ok, so you just like my choice in fashion, is that it?" Zim teased, flicking the odd pointy thing on Dib's face known as a nose.

Dib once more defended his poor nose by closing both hands over it. A deep glare settled on his face at Zim's constant picking on him.Then a chill came over the human.He found himself right back into Zim's jacket, clinging right back onto the alien's torso.

Zim rolled his eyes and pushed Dib back, asking humorously, "Would you like my jacket?"

Dib shivered, holding his own arms and shaking his head with as much pride as before.

Zim gave Dib an unconvinced look, taking off his jacket and offering it to the human, ignoring his own pride, astonishingly enough, in concern for the chilly human in front of him.

Dib pinched the collar of the jacket closer together as he stared at the alien in slight shock. He looked at all of the bandages on his arms accompanied by some unbandaged wounds and then back down the jacket. He slipped his arms through the sleeves and zipped it up._"How?"_ Dib signed, motioning to Zim's arms, a slight sense of fear washing over him though the other might be abused by whoever knows would abuse an alien.

"Oh, these?" Zim asked, motioning to his arm like it was nothing. "I just got burned cooking something, nothing too bad." Zim blushed at his own lie, the very IDEA of Zim going anywhere near a stove was laughable.

Dib was unconvinced. His eyes even said so. How on earth was somebody suppose to get that many burns in that many places? One would have to bend over and place their arm on the stove.

"Look, I'm fine!" Zim said, holding his hands up in show that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. "They'll be gone by tomorrow, I bet."

Dib rolled his eyes and folded his arms. He stood up and walked over to the wheel chair before plopping down in it. His expression was dead now.

"What?" Zim asked, crawling over to kneel in front of the chair. "What do you want from me?"

Dib looked down at his nurse on the floor in front of him. It was hard to pout when somebody was putting themselves in such an inferior position before him. He rolled his eyes again before moving his hands to respond. _"Let's go back."_

"Why?" Zim asked disappointedly, standing up anyway, ready to take Dib back despite wanting to stay outside.

_"You suck at lying. I want in." _Dib responded briskly.

"I'm not," Zim tried to argue, quickly realizing he wasn't getting out of this one. "I just got burned, what else do you want to know?"

Dib, unsure of the answer to that, just gave Zim a strained look. What more did he want? It just kind of upset him that not only did Zim allow himself to get hurt, he lied about it. Dib sighed, closing his eyes softly and shrugged.

Zim bit his lip but simply got behind Dib and pushed the wheel chair back to the entrance of the hospital, looking down at the ground, feeling... bad that he had to lie to Dib, which was odd to him as he'd never felt bad about lying before.

Dib held his breath as the cool air hit his flushed disappointed face. His arms hugged himself tighter, summoning warmth as much as they could, while as concentrating on the calming heat that Zim had left in the jacket.They, at a sluggish rate, went back to the elevator. The boy's eyes crawled up the walls of the building slowly as he continued thinking back onto what happened. It wasn't like it was his business to know, anyway, but it still upset him.

Zim took Dib up to the room and held out his hand to help the boy back into his bed, sighing and asking, "Are you mad at me?"

Dib didn't dignify Zim by making direct eye contact, but instead just helped himself up and back to his bed. He sat up straight and tied his fingers in his lap before finally looking up at Zim, unwilling to speak with him at the moment.

"You are mad." Zim said with a sigh. He moved over to the other side of the room to sit in a chair."Why are you so worried about this? It's just a few simple burns."

Dib looked at his fidgeting fingers for a moment and then back up at Zim. His eyes fell once more and he settled on twiddling with the edge of the blanket instead.

Zim grunted and pulled out some homework, to do for the while he figured Dib wouldn't be talking to him, only hoping it wouldn't be too long.

However use to the silence Dib had gotten, this was bugging him some. While Zim's mind was calculating away at math, or whatever else he was working on, Dib's mind was completely blank, unless you counted thoughts of Zim as real 'thoughts', anyway. The quiet allowed him to think, and thinking at this moment wasn't exactly what he wanted. Still, however, it bugged Dib, but this quiet would have to continue. Zim was upsetting to him.

Zim muttered a few calculations to himself every once in a while though the silence was driving him crazy, Finally he could stand it no longer and said, "You know you still have some tacos in the bag."

Dib focused his eyes on Zim. It wasn't like he hadn't been staring at the other for this whole time, but just now did he pay attention. The pale boy looked at the bag. He felt no real hunger coming on him; not that that mattered at the time. Zim still lied to him, after all.Dib just gave his nurse an unamused look, cocking up an eyebrow and pursing his lips.

"What do you want from me!?" Zim asked, throwing his pencil down.

Dib held his breath as he felt the air grow thick and heavy again, but he tried to play it out as naturally as he could. He shook his head, closing his eyes in thought to himself, feeling his heart echo in his chest.

Zim sighed and shook his head. "How can I earn your forgiveness if you don't tell me what's wrong?"

_"It does not matter."_ Dib finally responded back with his hands at a hesitant pace.Suddenly, Dib hated sign language. His hands betrayed his will.

"So... you don't want to be my friends anymore?" Zim asked, looking at Dib sadly. He just didn't understand this human. Why was he so worried about this?

Dib withdrew a breath at the question that seemed to shock him more than all else. Was that what it seemed like now? Quickly the boy shook his head, his hands going furious in an answer. _"Friends, friends, friends!"_

"So why won't you let me do anything?" Zim asked, shaking his head. "I can't tell you how I got burned, ok? I can't. But I'm fine alright?"

Dib's face, his eyes, his head all dropped along with his hands and shoulders. The human gave a solid nod, and was soon to go back at fidgeting his hands together.

Zim just went back to doing his homework, wishing so badly to tell Dib how he got burned, to betray his leader and tell Dib everything.

It wasn't long until Zim heard the crinkling of a bag, and to look up to see an honestly trying Dib making some effort for them by taking a taco and unwrapping it.

The alien gave a smile and finished up his homework before going over to Dib's bed, standing by it awkwardly as if asking for permission before sitting down.

Dib took the taco he was unraveling and after curiously looking up at the nurse-in-training, outstretched his thin white arm and held out the taco for him.

Zim blinked curiously at the tacos before taking it with a smile, saying, "Thanks, and... I'm sorry."

Dib just got a new taco and began unraveling it now, as well. He didn't feel like talking about this, and just wanted it behind them, and if ignoring it would work, then he'd go with it.

Zim sighed and took a bite of the taco. Ah, Mexican food, one of the only Earth foods he could stomach without dying or experiencing something as equally dreadful.

The awkward silence somehow evolved into a crunching quiet; one that did not involve awkward much at all. The two chewed their food and both managed to swallow it down without hurting themselves too much.Dib set aside the wrapper onto the desk and stared down at his hands near the sitting Zim. He felt his own urge of sorry come up, but he bit it down.

"So, um," Zim said, scratching the back of his head. "I guess dinner is coming up soon, and you'll at least have to order something, want me to put the order in now?"

Having just ate, the boy looked up at Zim and winced at the thought of more food.Then he realized he just winced up at Zim as if nothing had gone on between the two.

Zim just gave a small laugh, shaking his head and saying, "I didn't think so."

Dib let a small smile slip, but he recovered from it quickly, placing a small childish pout on his lips. He stared at Zim for a moment before he lifted a hand a placed it on Zim's thin green arm, his pout slowly dissipating.

Zim smiled and put his own hand on Dib's arm in mimicry, giving it a slight squeeze.

Dib withdrew his arm and scooted back against the wall._"How long are you in,"_ Dib formed the words with his hands, but couldn't seem to remember the last word. He looked around in thought for a bit, and reworded his sentence. _"When will you be a real nurse?"_

"When I'm done with school." Zim said with a small laugh, signing as he talked.

_"Senior,"_ Dib formed a memorized word for the alien. That word felt so lonely.

"Well yeah, but there's still university to get through." Zim said and signed, rolling his eyes.

_"So,"_ Dib signaled slowly. _"I go to school, but only for the year."_

"Well, I guess after that you could do home-schooling." Zim said with a shrug. "You really shouldn't let the other kids get to you though."

Dib grimaced. That wasn't the answer he was looking for. Home-schooling sounded just as impossible as going to school for the rest of high-school without Zim there to be his friend. _"No."_

"We'll think of something." Zim said with a small smile and a reassuring grip of the human's shoulder.

The pale human couldn't help the small bit of inspiration that smile seemed to give him, although realistically he couldn't quite grasp onto that though. He shook his head again, but let his fingers up to lightly tap Zim's grip on his shoulder to let him know it was alright anyway.

"You really must show a little faith in me." Zim said with a smirk. "You'd be amazed at what I can do."

Alien talk. Of course. Dib gave him an unamused look. Another one of Zim's lies, no doubt.

"So, will you trust me to make sure everything is alright?" Zim asked, giving Dib a truthful smile.

Dib studied him for a bit, glancing from his eyes to his smile. Putting his faith in this 'Zim' would be like taking a step off of a cliff bungee jumping. He did have to trust him to make it all work out, and not let his fears get the better of him.Slowly, but surely, the human boy gave a small nod.

"Good," Zim said, taking Dib into a short hug, sighing, once against happy to have Dib as his friend.

Dib eased up and gave a small smile back, happy at the other's own happiness.

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Zim: Me

Dib/Dr.Wallace: TSI


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter EIGHT! A LOT happens in this chapter I think... if I can remember correctly. Yes, I'm pretty sure this is the chapter I'm thinking of. But I cleaned this up, it seems, so long ago, and I just can't remember.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

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It was the dreaded day; the dreaded day for Dib.Dib paced back and forth in the room. His fingers were tangled in his mess of black hair. He was being released today! His father would come for him, and he'd be taken home. That was one step closer to school the very next day. The day he'd be forced to go to school.It didn't help matters any now that he couldn't speak. He wasn't even aware if his father knew he couldn't speak; nobody tells Dib anything about his father's where abouts or anything about his knowing that Dib even really existed. And now, now with school, now nobody would know what he was saying, not even teachers! "Okay, what's your name?" And then Dib would have to write it in the air with his fingers. Everybody would hate him even more than they already did. They'd have new purpose to mess with Dib, he knew it.Now, what if something happened? He wouldn't even be able to scream this time to catch any adult's attention to help; not like they did much anyway.He'd be even more lost in translation than he already was.

Zim came back with Dib's tray of food, giving Dib a less than impressed look at the boy's display of anxiety. "Relax!" He ordered, putting the tray on the table. "You're driving ME mad."

Dib halted to whirl his head towards Zim. It didn't take him long to run up to his nurse and grip his shoulders in a show of fear.

Zim sighed and hugged Dib close, saying, "It'll be fine. And I'll go to check on you on my way home from working, alright?"

Dib felt his face flush at the sudden embrace. His head was plastered to the other's chest. That Zim grew too fast! His thoughts quickly dissolved away however as he felt himself plunge deeper into the hug. He raised his arms up and held the other back, feeling every bit of warmth coming off of Zim. Every bit of internal noise that was -not beating from Zim's chest.Zim didn't have a heartbeat. Dib had noticed Zim didn't have a heartbeat. Dib let out a small gasp at this but dared not move away; too far enjoying this hold, but it puzzled him still. If Zim didn't have a heart... ...what did he have instead?Quickly, the boy plunged down the thoughts of an autopsy on his friendly green nurse to respond back into the hug.

Zim looked down curiously at the gasp, asking, the human in his arms, "Is something wrong?" As his antennae twitched sporadically. It was getting rather annoying really. Lately Dib had been nothing but a bundle of nerves and fastly running chemicals and Zim's antennae all but couldn't take the constant feeling. He wondered what it was that made Dib so... emotion-y all the time.

Dib looked up from his spot on Zim's chest to look up curiously up at Zim. Has he not been paying attention at all to Dib's silent rant about school? He shook his head.

"You sure?" Zim asked, his antennae twitching a little more before resting back down against his head. "Look, if it's about school I TOLD you I'd be there for you, right?"

Dib nodded, his face becoming stiff in thought. It didn't take long for the very same troublesome worries to creep back up on the boy, and his grip around the alien weakened.

Zim just held the boy tighter, asking, "When will your parents be here?"

Dib held up two fingers, never abandoning Zim's eyes with his own. The shuddering feeling taking hold of him in thought of his father coming with his great, smiling disappointed smile.

"Great, then I'll be here." Zim said with a nod. "Now eat some lunch, it'll help you take your mind off of things."

Dib gently pulled from Zim, and grabbed his food from the tray Zim had set down. Feeling no need to sit and eat, however, he just stood and munched on his muffin there.

Zim gave Dib a hard stare, turning him and pushing him back to his bed. "Do not stand and eat," He said sternly. "That annoys the hell out of me."

Dib blinked in confusion at the forceful movement. A cheekfull of muffin slowly becoming soggy before he chewed and swallowed.

"Sit." Zim commanded, pointing to the soft, cushiony mattress that Dib was currently pressed against.

Dib stared at his nurse, but obliged, falling back on the bed at the sheer bit of superiority Zim seemed to display at that moment.

"Good," Zim said, sitting on the bed next to Dib. before plopping back on his back so he was laying down with his head resting on his hands, wondering what Dib's parents were like but not wanting to come across as rude for asking.

Dib ate more of his muffin, before leaning back on one arm and looking at Zim. He handed the rest of his muffin to Zim, whom seemed to eat just about nothing in his presence it seemed.

"Eat your lunch Dib," Zim said, giving Dib a firm look that said he'd shove the food down the boy's throat if he didn't eat it willingly.

Dib twitched at the command, feeling that the lying down nurse had little authority over him when he wasn't towering over him. Dib rolled to his stomach and tried again to give the muffin to Zim, now with a pout and a glare.

Zim rolled his eyes and took the muffin before asking, "You will eat everything else on your plate right?"

Dib smirked and shook his head, just daring what Zim would do.

Zim gave his patient a firm glare, pointing to the tray and saying, "Eat the food."

Dib smirked wider and with his now free hand responded with a _"Not hungry"_, which was true. The worry over school had his apatite drained.

"Dib, eat now." Zim warned, sitting up and pointing at the tray. "Or I swear to whatever it is you worship I will take this muffin and force feed you with it through your EAR if I must."

Dib rolled his eyes at his nurse in green and red and sat up. He ironed out the wrinkles in his pants before standing, totally ignoring Zim.

"Don't do that!" Zim exclaimed. "It's not fair, stopping acting like a smeet!"

Dib swung his head back to look at Zim with a quirked brow behind the rim of his glasses. What was that he heard? Smeet? Dib sighed, folding his arms and walking to the other side of the room, leaning up against the wall he had never found himself leaning on before. He checked the clock; thirty more minutes.

"Aw come on, Dib." Zim said, putting the muffin on the tray. "You're not gonna... ignore me again... just because I want you to eat are you?" Zim seemed a little worried, and rightfully so. Zim was one of the shortest invaders in the training program, the shortest to make it to the rank of invader, so he was, as most short irkens are, ignored a great deal. And he was tired of being ignored.

Dib shook his head. _"I just __don't__ want food."_ Dib signed him after a while of just staring at the clock.

"But you NEED food." Zim signed back before putting his head in his hand and shaking it in frustration.

Dib made an effort to look at Zim now. _"You too."_

"I eat," Zim said. "I get snacks when I'm here, and meals when I'm at home or school." The alien punctuated this with a nod, his arms crossed with finality.

Dib made a desperate look towards the other. _"Eat."_

"Fine," Zim said, rolling his eyes and hopping off the bed. "I'll get lunch in the cafeteria if it'll make to feel better, but when I get back I expect to see you eating."

Dib nodded pridefuly, proud of how that ended out with Zim doing what he told him to rather than the other way around for a change.

"Right," Zim said, marching out of the room with his head held high, not wanting to seem at all defeated by the much younger than himself human.

Dib smiled brightly at the site and didn't hesitate to peek out of his room to watch Zim pridefuly stride away. He shut his door and strolled over to his bed where he sat and waited. He looked over at his food, oh, but he wasn't hungry.

Zim picked himself up a tuna sandwich in the cafeteria as well as some weird kind of salad thing made out of fruit, which he took back to Dib's room. Once there he knocked on the door and called through the heavy wood, "You better be eating in there or I swear I'm going to get a tuuuuube."

Dib perked up at the sound, quickly hopped off of his bed with the sound of two bare feet against the floor, and went to his food. He swiftly tossed the hospital jello under his bed where he was sure it wouldn't be seen, and crammed a face full of his sandwich.

Zim walked in with his small lunch, looking at Dib suspiciously before moving over to the bed where he could sit and eat.

Dib had a rough time swallowing the sandwich down but didn't stop to put it down to sit next to Zim and smile at him for the food he held.

Zim set aside the fruit and began eating the sandwich, deciding his liked the taste of tuna, so he finished off the sandwich quickly enough, leaving the fruit to sit there.

Dib took a glance at the clock. Twenty minutes, roughly to go. He slowly became a nervous wreck once more.

"Diiiiiiiiib." Zim warned, his antennae twitching with the changes to the human's mood. "Don't you dare start freaking out on me again."

The boy's eyes perked up at Zim. A curious thought if Zim was some sort of mind reader pressed itself into him, but he shook it off, along with all of the worry he began holding once more. He slid off of the bed and peeked under where the jello had splat. He grabbed his backpack and began going through it for something.

Zim played with the fruit cup a little before setting it on Dib's tray, asking, "What are you looking for?"

Dib showed himself to Zim, holding up a pair of his blue jeans. The boy had clothes!

"Oh yeah, you had better get dressed." Zim said, trying to picture the boy in the pants he held up though failing as the only thing he'd ever seen Dib in was hospital cloths and pajamas.

Dib nodded, more to himself then to Zim as he hauled his backpack up and walked into the bathroom, locking the door soon after to leave Zim to his thoughts.

Zim tapped a foot on the ground impatiently, his mind going to the first time Dib had locked himself in the bathroom with Zim as his nurse. Zim ended up finding him passed out on the disgusting bathroom floor covered in his own vomit and bleeding from the throat. He sure didn't want a repeat of that.

Dib emerged from the restroom wearing blue jeans, a grey-blue shirt with the writing 'They're Here!', black boots that had been covered up by his jeans, and a black trench coat that only seemed to emphasize his pale white cheeks and his overall geekiness.

Zim looked Dib up and down, face twisting a little as he though about how Dib looked."Eh," he said, waving a hand. "I liked you better in the hospital gown."

Dib narrowed his once hopeful eyes at the alien before folding his arms in a pout. He briskly made his way next to Zim, backpack slung over his shoulder. He plopped the backpack down, and set next to Zim. He looked at the clock. He should leave at any moment now.

"What, I liked seeing your legs." Zim joked, laughing into his hand.

Dib blushed and a glare hardened its way towards Zim as the humans hands found their way to the bottom of his pants to cover even more.

"I was JOKEING." Zim said, waving Dib off. "Your legs are too pale anyway, you need sun."

Dib's eyes narrowed even more to the point one would wonder if they were open at all.

"Again I was joking." Zim rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You were supposed to blush or laugh or something."

A knock aroused from the door, causing honey-colored eyes to flash at the clock and then at the entry to his room. Slowly the wood panel swung open, revealing a very tall man in a starch white suit and uncomfortable-looking goggles snug on his head, and a strange bolt like strand of hair upon his otherwise bald head. "Hello there, Son."Dib shuddered at the overly calm, happy voice of his father, as if nothing had happened to him at all.

"You are Dib's father I take it?" Zim asked, tilting his head to get a good look at Membrane, up and down, not that there was much to look at aside from the plain white lab coat which hid everything else.

"Ah, yes, I am, strange green kid." The professor took no time before he practically floated over to Dib, patting his son on the head as if he was some kind of dog.Dib cringed at ever pat, not enjoying the type of attention his father would give him."Well, then, it's time to get you back at home, Son! Now, say good bye to your little friend." The cheerful voice rang out joyously.Dib narrowed his eyes and a frown made its way upon his lips. His eyes flew to Zim for a second before he slid off of the bed, taking his backpack with him. He looked back at the taller Zim, holding a hand out to wave to him.

Zim waved back to Dib before quickly darting in front of Membrane and pointing out, "Your son has been in the hospital a while, uh, professor, I'm sure you've noticed." The alien grabbed a pamphlet of papers he wasn't supposed to forget to give to Membrane, going over them, saying, "He's to be on only soft foods for the next week or so, nothing to hard like chips or anything in case he tears his throat and also he can't talk at all right now. The doctor's aren't sure he'll ever get his voice back so I've been teaching him sign language, I do hope you'll study up on it if you don't already know it." The nurse the pulled out a baggy of four pill bottles, saying, "Two of these are what he's been taking here while the other two are what he'll need when he's done with the ones he's taking now. He knows when to take them but it also has descriptions on the bottle."The green kid handed Membrane the pamphlet and waved to professor off with a smile, saying, "Thank you for your time and have a safe drive home."

Membrane seemed to be lost at words right now, but he soon caught himself, taking his eyes off of the weird green nurse to look at Dib. "You can't talk?"Dib gave him a dull look back before looking pleadingly back at Zim. He gave a short wave before disappearing finally away from the hospital and back to the place he called 'home'.

Zim waved back to Dib, deciding to look around the room to see if Dib had left anything there while he waited for Julie to give him his next assignment. He took a peak under the bed, surprised to see a smashed jello cup under the bed, wondering when that had gotten there.

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Zim: Me

Dib/Julie/Membrane: TSI


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine is here. And for those of you that are wondering, as I don't think I've mentioned it yet because I forbetful and lazy, HJ will be updated every Monday and Friday, Sri (our newest fic) will be updated on Wednesday, and More or Less will be updated when we figure out how we saved it because it was sort of an experimental fic, our first time, I think, writing through AIM and saving it turned out to be a little more trouble than it was worth. Thank goodness we got all that sorted out mid-Hospital Jello, huh? XD Well, enjoy chapter nine!

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Gaz slammed the door when she got home an hour and a half after her father and brother, grumbling something about a teacher taking away her Game Slave V, stopping when she noticed Dib sitting on the couch. "When... did you get out?" She asked, sounding none-too-pleased. 

Dib peered over to his sister, not at all fond of the idea of answering her in another language, even if it was hand. He'd have to revert back to doing what he did when Zim first found him. Stare.He stared at his sister in an exhausted and not thrilled manor that seemed to somehow scream words in a dead, drolly silent way.

"Whatever," Gaz said after having a five minute staring contest with her brother. Whether she took anything from his eyes or not no one could say.She stomped over to the lab, calling down the stairs with that air of authority she always seemed to carry with her, "Dad, when's dinner!?"

"At six. I have microwavable pulsing spaghetti on the counter for you and your brother." The man called back from his home work place. It was apparent he was going to leave again with no dinner.

Gaz merely grunted with a shrug, walking upstairs calmly to do her homework as she did every night when a thought accured to her. She stopped in the middle of the stairs case and looked down at her brother, calling out, "Hey, Dib."

Dib didn't reply; how could he? Instead, he just got up from the couch and walked over to the stairs where he gazed upward for whatever it may be Gaz wanted.

"You're pretty smart right?" Gaz asked, adjusting her book bag on her shoulder then, without waiting for an answer walked back down the stairs, grabbing her brother by the arm of his coat and saying, "Good, you can help me with my homework then."

The boy went wide-eyed, fear cresting his face as his sister took him to her room. She was always naturally a scary person, however use to her you'd get, but the thought of her getting frustrated all over the pale teen had him frightened.

"Alright, you do my Language Arts home work and I can handle everything else." Gaz said, passing said homework over to her brother. "Do this for me and I take back the threat of telling Dad it was YOU who broke his big, huge telescope, got it?"

Dib flinched at the girl's threat but obliged, picking the book up and setting it on his lap as he sat down on the floor. He took the sheet of questions known as homework, and began reading them over slowly. It didn't take long for the pale male to begin to feel drained as he felt this was all too familiar, only taking away an element that made everything seem okay and fair. Now he felt more pressured and, for who? His scary little sister.

Gaz took little notice of Dib after this, concentrating on her work. Math, so much better than Lang. Arts. No opinions involved, just simple facts that one could work out into another fact to solve a problem. Facts, all facts, no ugly opinions. It took her no more than fifteen minutes to finish her math and science home work, which she shoved angrily back into her book bag, not particularly caring if anything got folded or scrunched.

Dib looked up at the backpack. It was wrinkled and dark purple. Zim's was more of a maroonish grey.His eyes fell back on the paper in which he just began filling questions out.

_Why did boy kill his best friend? _What sort of language arts were they teaching his sister and preteens her age?

Dib furrowed his brow and scribbled down an answer.

_He had to kill him to protect the truth and the quiet __within__ the village. If nobody knew about his friend, nobody would shun him._

"Hurry up, I don't want you in my room all-night," Gaz growled as she got up to get herself some leftover pizza for a snack, slamming her door and stomping down the stairs. Her brother had been unusually quiet, by now he'd be protesting and complaining about doing her homework for her, but he was so quiet and submissive, it was a little worrisome. But just a little.

Dib finished the questions with ease. Each opinionated mind trip after the next until he was finished like his sister wanted him to. He tapped the tip of his pencil against the piece of paper. Idly in a corner he wrote three names out; his own, his sister's, and his nurse.Satisfied with this he closed the book and set the paper on top and began exiting the room as if it was his own.

Hours later there came a knocking on the door, a loud, rapid knocking the seemed urgent and anxious, displaying the one doing the knocking's feelings.

Dib walked down, ignoring his sister's grumbling, and opened the door, about to attempt saying 'Hello' on reflex when a look of shock covered his face at who it was.

"Told you I'd be by after work," Said a panting Zim, giving Dib a wide smile. "And you don't know how happy I am to see you."

Dib continued to just stare in disbelief before a smile cracked on his face, and he instantly backed away to let Zim through. His heart rushed, and his anxiety stumbled. This was all fine, for Dib though. He had a friend.

"I got this old guy I have to take care of now." Zim said, walking in. "He's so NEEDY, I don't have a second to sit!"

Dib tried to grimace, but he was too happy. His face never escaped him; not once.

_"Name?"_ Dib signed, excited about being able to talk to somebody for once since he got home.He signaled for Zim to sit on the couch with him. He sat, and cupped one hand in the other, waiting for Zim to carry on.

"Harold." Zim said, singing out each letter. "And taking care of him is like HELL!" The alien laughed after a short grimace. "Oh, and I found your jello under the bed."

That's when Dib's smile finally dropped to give way for a deer in the headlights blush.

"Now I wonder how it got under there." Zim said teasingly, poking Dib's nose, something he found to be quite enjoyable.

Dib blinked, his hands coming up to cover his nose in defense as his eyes darted around quickly, looking for some kind of escape. His eyes finally settled on the corner of the walls before his hands dropped to rest on his knees.

"Relax," Zim said, poking the boy's arm that time. "You're not in any trouble, I wouldn't eat that crap either."

Dib nodded slowly, his pinkish blush fading by only slightly.A thought came to him, and he perked his head up to look back at the kitchen before looking at Zim. _"Want food?"_

"Please." Zim said with a wide smile and a nod. "What do you have?"

Not wanting to sign for any more words, he stood and motioned for Zim to follow him as he trekked his way to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and peered inside. It was full of crap junk food and premade things.

Zim tilted his head and smiled when he saw the box of left over pizza. He opened it and pulled out one of the two last pieces, asking, "Pizza ok?"

Dib rolled his eyes. He already had his green claws on the pizza and he's asking permission?

Dib just waved him off and nodded, taking out a soda pop for himself and strolling over to the kitchen to sit.

Zim sat down across from Dib, eating his pizza in large bites when he saw Gaz come in, her purple hair tied up as she went over to the thermostat to turn the air down."It's a sauna in here Dib, don't you have enough brains to cool the house down yourself?" She asked irately.

Dib made sure he wouldn't make eye contact, just keeping his eyes on his drink as he took slow sips. As long as they didn't really look at each other, she wouldn't attack randomly, would she?

"And who's this, is this one of you little alien friends?" Gaz asked, putting her hands on her hips as she stared piercingly at Zim eating her pizza. "Don't let him slime or something on the couch."Zim nearly choked on his food.

Dib caught Zim's reaction, hesitating a bit before giving Gaz a bone shattering glare. It probably would have been less effective if it wasn't for the fact the boy hadn't been talking around his sister at all, leaving every glance he gave that much more powerful.,

"And if he eats my last piece of pizza I will crush your legs!" Gaz called back as she left the kitchen, ignoring her older brother."What's her problem?" Zim asked, finishing off the pizza slice.

Dib shook his head and shrugged. He took a large gulp of poop cola, glad to have something with caffeine in it now.After a few minutes, Dib began to signal a question to his ex-nurse. _"What time do you need to go?"_

"An hour or so." Zim said, looking at his watch. Yes, he had to get his presentation ready for his tallest, Miyuki, the most powerful woman in the universe and downright scary to work with directly.

Dib watched and blinked at the alien. He looked back at the door to the lab where his father would be when he'd be at home. He looked back at Zim, now curious at what his agenda must be. _"Did you want something?"_

Zim gave Dib a curious look, asking with his words and hands, "Why? Am I acting suspiciously or something?"

Dib shook his head, after taking 'suspiciously' into his word bank to use later. _"Makes no sense."_

"What doesn't?" Zim asked, tilting his head to the side.

_"You here." _Dib signed, giving a short pause before continuing once more. _"You looked like you ran here."_

"Well yeah, you're my friend." Zim said with a definite nod. "I wanted to see you, and to see how you've adjusted."

_"How have I adjusted?"_

"You look alright," Zim observed after a moment of looking around as if inspecting the house.

_"I am alright."_ Dib signed, closing his eyes as he took in an air of pride.

"Great!" Zim said, standing up and clapping.

The boy's eyes snapped open to look at the zealous Zim. He picked his can of Poop Cola up as he stood as well in mimicry to what the green teen was doing.

"So you'll be going to school tomorrow?" Zim asked, smiling like a happy child the day before Christmas.Zim still didn't know what Christmas was.

Dib's heart fell at the reminder. Every time Zim mentioned school, he seemed to feel a little more awkwardish towards Zim.

Zim gazed at Dib expectantly waiting for an answer, hoping he really would see Dib at school... or before it. "I can walk you to school if that would make you feel better."

Dib looked low and shook his head. He had bothered Zim too often anyway, and to him, it really wasn't all that important. He just wanted school to be over with, hold his breath and plunge in.

"You sure?" Zim asked, seeming a little disappointed by Dib's answer.

The boy nodded, wanting to switch subjects, but not knowing how to do it, he turned around in a full circle to look for something to take their minds off of school. He began his way up stairs, and waved his hand for Zim to follow.

Zim did follow, his antennae twitching curiously as he looked around at all the furniture that seemed to resemble Dib's father.

Once Zim entered his room, Dib shut his door for separation from his little sister. He made his way to his bed and plopped down, taking his pillow in his arms and watching Zim closely.

Zim stood in the middle of the room awkwardly, looking around at all of the stuff, a little nervous about all the alien related things Dib seemed to have."You aren't just... interested in aliens are you?" He asked, motioning to a poster of a space ship.

A smirk slowly grew over the teen's once nervous face and he signed _"big"_ just before pointing to his foot, and showing two fingers to indicate, no, that wasn't the only thing he was into. After seeing Zim's unsure reaction to this, however, he pointed to his microscope set up on his desk with a grin plastered on his face.

"What's there?" Zim asked, looking in the microscope a little unsurely.

Dib shrugged but moved to where Zim was anyway. He watched him peer deep into the microscope. It kind of felt nice to see somebody curiously poking around stuff you were interested in.

Zim continued to poke around Dib's room with much interest, asking questions here and there but knowing Dib was still not completely used to sign language so he kept his questions to a minimum, looking around for clues to what he was looking at when he could but ultimately walking away with little more information then when he started. Much to quickly for the either of them an hour came and went and Zim needed to get home to start his report to his leader."Sorry I have to leave so soon." Zim said with a regretful looking smile. "You sure you don't want me to walk with you to school?"

Dib slowly made his way to Zim, and folding his hands behind his back shook his head with a sad smile. It was nice of Zim, but he felt bad enough as it was for hogging Zim all to himself all of the time, working him to getting him meals and teaching him sign.

"Alright," Zim said with a sigh as he made his way to the door. "But, if you need anything... well, I guess you can't call me can you?" Zim sighed again, having a mute friend was HARD! "Um... well, just... I don't know, but, at school I guess you can find me if you need anything, right?"

Dib nodded. So soon would it be until tomorrow. He sighed, closing his eyes for a second before looking back at Zim with a hand in the air. He gave a light wave, one that was very slow and very stiff as his mind wondered off in other directions.

"Okay then, see you at school." Zim said, giving Dib much the same wave before heading down the stairs and out the front door which he closed quietly behind him.He paused outside the house for a few minutes, looking up at the windows and memorizing which one was Dib's before starting home, kicking a rock as he went.

A very irritated looking Tallest Miyuki glared at her transmition screen. She waited for Zim to enter the picture but it seemed as if he wasn't going to be home just quite yet. Instead, she had a defective SIR unit start reciting to her the human alphabet backwards. Oh, when Zim got back...

A door could be heard opening and closing, followed by a sigh, a bag full of junk dropping to the floor, then the shuffling of feet before Zim made his way into the range of the screen, almost not noticing his Almighty Tallest as he took off his wig and scratched his head around his antennae.

"Invader Zim." A smoky voice called out in clarity, calling for the shorter green person.

The invader nearly jumped out of his green skin, looking wide eyed at his leader for a moment before stuttering out, "M-my Tallest.. wha-when did you call?"

She scowled at the screen. "Long enough to hear five irthenoid songs come out of your SIR." Her left antennae twitched in aspiration.

"I-I apologize, My Almighty One." Zim said quickly, giving Miyuki an antennae salute. "I was out taking care of some business. But-but I'm here now, what can I help you with?"

The tallest sat up straighter, and rubbed one claw against the other, showing a bit of disrespect in their body language to Zim. She closed her eyes and drew in a slow breath. "Do you have a report for me yet, Invader Zim? I'm getting tired. This is not amusing to me in the least."

"R-right, I was going to work on that tonight." Zim said, putting a claw to his head, trying to will something to report to his agitated leader to the top of his head.

Miyuki sighed. "You're exhausting me, Invader Zim. How am I supposed to do my job and take charge, form tactics, when-" She stopped to grapple the air with her claws to find some sort of word to help her express herself. "-You won't even do your own job and research?" She shook her head, shaking her antennae with it. "Or at least put down in data what you have learned?"

"N-No, no! I've got data!" Zim said quickly, pulling a cord out of his pak and plugging it into the television set through a plug on the left side. "It's about my growth spurt, there's this human chemical here, at the human medical center I've been working at!"

Miyuki calmed fully and stared at her screen. "Are you positive it is this ...hyuuman chemical.. that is responsible for your growth?" She voiced softly, feeling actually a little proud of the smaller invader for choosing to work at a medical center on this planet. She then shook her head; that was giving Zim too much credit; after all, he was late. His growth couldn't have been anything on his own accord. "Perhaps it is another irthen thing. How are you sure?"

"Just check the report I'm sending you now," Zim said excitedly as graphs began to show up on one side of the screen on Miyuki's end. "The green bar represents a chemical inside of both irken AND human bodies. This medication," Zim pulled a syringe out of his pak to show Miyuki. "... or whatever it is, BOOSTS our bodies' production of that chemical, allowing us to grow much taller in a shorter span of time!"

"Are you sure that this chemical on Irth doesn't have any bad side-effects for us?" Miyuki asked, surveying the screen carefully. "What is it even called? Do you just... what, Invader Zim? Pick up a random bottle and try it on yourself? I'd hate to think that you were giving us something that could possibly wipe out our whole race just because you weren't thorough enough. Well, Invader Zim?" Miyuki straightened her back in a show of her high-and-mighty power. "You're trying it on you, but you have no clue what wrong could become of it."

Zim's antennae wilted from happily straight to limp against the back of his head. "My-my tallest, I did research." He said, motioning to the graph. "Just look! It's-it's perfectly safe, I tested it's properties first and I haven't had any side effects at all, just the quick growth!"

She kept her bright eyes planted firmly on Zim for a moment longer. "And what about the report? It's taking you so long to get to work, I wonder if it's messed with your PAK any. I wonder if it's slowed you don't some. That would be logical." She stated coolly. Logic was, after all, her best friend. "Unless the reason you've been skipping on your report is because of different loyalties. That, too, would be logical."

Zim's eyes widened. Was the Tallest... was the Tallest questioning his loyalty to her? Quickly he shook his head, the emotion on his face displaying just how upset he was that she would ask him something like that. "No, of COURSE not my Tallest! It's just... so hard to blend in with these... FILTHY humans. It's been very... nnn, time consuming."

"Well I expect that your time with me and for your planet and for the armada is more important than time blending in." She narrowed her eyes, her curly antennae stiffening, though she wasn't exactly mad, just pointing out that Zim wasn't being the best invader a Zim could be.

Zim looked down, ashamed that he seemed to be failing his Tallest so badly. "I understand." He said, nodding. "I will do better to keep my attentions solely on the mission from now on."

"Good." Tallest Miyuki once again looked back at the chart, and then on Zim. "I would like a copy of the chemical you spoke of. Other than that, is this all you have for me, Invader Zim?"

Zim nodded and quickly sent Miyuki a list of the chemicals that were in the medication he had been taking and said, "That is all for now. I'm afraid from this point on I will have to be a little sneakier in my approach for knowledge, possibly infiltration at a higher rank."

Miyuki nodded, and closed the connection, leaving Zim for his very Zimmish thoughts.

Zim sighed and went to lie down on the couch, putting an arm over his face."Master, do you have a head-ache?" The SIR asked quietly, his head cocking to the side.Zim just hummed and shooed the bot away.Miyuki was questioning his loyalty. HIS loyalty! Invader Zim, the one who would humble himself as low as he could if it would please the Tallest! But was it at all un called for? He did genuinely get upset when Dib wouldn't talk, or sign rather, to him because he couldn't tell the human about his burns. And he really did like the human's company. But that wasn't any cause for concern right? Because when the world is invaded, and as being the one who brought about the invasion, he could keep Dib as a pet, so no worries, there was no reason to prolong this planet's doom. But then Dib wouldn't be his friend anymore, or he would, but it would most assuredly be forced on the human because he wouldn't like Zim anymore. Zim sighed, now his head hurt, as did his chest. When did destroying planets get so hard?

* * *

Zim/Gaz: Me 

Dib/Mem/Miyuki: TSI

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	10. Chapter 10

OMG! It's Dib's first day back at school! Whatever will our pour human do!?

Read and find out, I'm not telling you.

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Dib cautiously walked down the sidewalks towards school at 6:37 in the morning. He still had a bit more than an hour until he had to be in class, so he didn't even have to rush. He could just take his time walking, and looking around for his own safety.

Oh, how he _hated _school. He took in a breath of fresh air. It smelt so much different from back in the hospital. He had grown use to the smell of soaps and sprays and disgusting hospital food. It was nothing like out here. Here, you could smell the grass, the trees, the paint on the fence he was passing by, or even the dog currently barking at him. Although he couldn't speak, he could still smell, after all. And see! The lighting was so bright out here. He could see morning due in the grass, and the way the sun hit the yards, it almost made it look orange and magical. It was such a relaxing sight. It enthralled Dib in so much wonder. He would love so much just to find himself a camera and go running past the houses, past the school and into the old wheat field. There, he could by chance look for leprecans and take pictures, this the time of magic.Instead, he had to settle on going to school. There, he'd be confined to a classroom, just sitting and having things thrown at him in class. He vaguely wondered if anybody would remember his name, but then realized, of course they would. He was Dib; their play thing. Nobody would forget a toy, no matter how much abuse they fed it.He'd have to go throughout the whole day with nobody to speak to; not like he had anybody to speak to before but, he'd have to explain to his teacher why he couldn't give an answer, and then have a whole new thing for everybody to pick on him about. Dib slowed in his tracks. This wasn't a good idea, was it? He warily stared at the building before submitting to his heart and turning his heal, ready to go home.

A hand perched itself on Dib's shoulder, halting the boy in his tracks. "Hey, Diiiiib," Said the fakest friendly voice one would ever hear. "I thought you were in the hospital, you were admitted into the nut ward, right? Wonder who let you out?" A group near-by could be heard laughing.

Dib dropped his eyes to their shoes. He couldn't look up at their eyes, no. If he did that but wouldn't talk, they'd assume he was challenging them or something."Aw, look how sad Dibby is," A taller male with curly hair and freckles on his smug face approached. "Maybe he misses it too much. We might need to give him a little gift," In which the freckled boy pounded his fist in his palm. "-and send him back for him."Dib just stood perfectly still. He knew that struggling would only make things worse. It always did. They enjoyed it when he struggled. When he didn't move, however, they usually would get bored and pass him by quicker."But first, he should be welcomed back in style. So how about it, boys? The trash, toilet, or janitor's closet?"

"Janitor's closet." Another boy said with a nod. "I saw a janitor cleaning the toilets just now and breakfast isn't over yet so there's hardly any trash in the cans."

Dib looked up, distress spilt all over his face. That didn't last long, however, since a fist went slamming into his face, sending him flying back before his wrist was grabbed by one of the boys keeping him there as a knee flew up and stuck him in between the legs. More punches. More punches, more punches, and Dib didn't say anything."What's the matter, Dibby? Finally BREAK hard enough to learn to shut up for a change, or did you finally get to like your beatings?!"

"I think he likes it." The boy holding Dib said with a wide grin and a laugh. Teasingly he poked the boy's cheeks up, pulling the corners of Dib's lips up. "Seee?" "Bet he gets off on it now." Another said, earning him a few weird looks and laughing.

"Yeah," A chuckle. "Don't worry, Little Dibbles. We'll give you what you want!" And with that, the mean kid bent down.Dib kept his eyes on him. For what reason would this kid need to bend down with? But nevertheless, he watched, almost tempted to make a run for it at that very moment. Then he saw it.The boy had found a large rock beside the curve, and held it firmly in his hand. He saw Dib beginning to struggle, pushing back and shaking his head no, over and over again. He pushed back on his feet but the two boys holding his arms at the moment kept him exactly where he was."Whatever you do, DONT SCREAM!" The boy laughed before taking the rock back in his hand and striking Dib hard over the cheek with it. Over, and over, and over again, he hit Dib with the sharp hard rock until tears built up in the side of his eyes and he began to cry.

"Dude don't kill him." One of the boy's said, though laughing, indicating he didn't care either way. "Anyone got any rope?" Another asked.

"I wasn't expecting the Dib-shit to come back! I wasn't prepared!" Another proclaimed."That's alright. I've got some." And together they began wrapping it around Dib, tying him tightly.Dib stared up at the boys, grimacing at what all else they had planned for him. He could feel the blood running down his face from his cheeks and nose. His glasses, although bran new, already had scratches and scrapes all over them, though nobody punched him there with the rock, although they scraped it, so it stayed un shattered.

A laugh seemed to get passed from boy to boy as they tide Dib good and tight, his arms held tight to his side and his wrists held behind him. "Come on, you get his feet, I'll get his torso."

"Ew! But his feet probably stink of gay or something!""Just shut up! Somebody do something." And with that, Dib begun getting carried off to the back of the school."There! That window right there! That's the janitor's closet! Believe me! Believe me, I say!" The shortest of the group jumped up and down."Yeah, yeah, we believe you. Just help us dump him in there!"

The one at Dib's head dumped the poor boy in head first and helped the other push him in the rest of the way before closing it so Dib couldn't worm himself out and get help.

Dib panted harshly. He just laid there, tied up. Hands unable to do anything. His head hurt, too. It had apparently landed on a bucket of said cleaned toilet'd water. It poured and wetted Dib, and he was just there, having to stand the pain of the yellow water getting into his cuts.He cried.He banged up against the door with his head. Surely he could get help. An hour passed. Two hours passed. Passing periods- nobody could hear him.The boy began hyperventilating. He couldn't scream! He wanted to yell so bad right now! He wanted to yell out for help! For somebody! For Zim! Please, just SOMEBODY- but he couldn't. He couldn't yell, he couldn't scream. He could only stay there and hyperventilate as his fear of being trapped in a janitor's closet for a day. Perhaps forever!He laid in that filthy, sticky, stinky water with no way out. He was better off staying at the hospital.

Zim watched for Dib through the halls as he went about his day, before class, after class, for three periods before lunch rolled around and he still looked for Dib, eyes traveling over all of the other students around him.No Dib.He sighed, had Dib ditched him. The human promised he would be here. He sat at a table by himself solemnly, just staring at the horrible pig-meat on his plate as well as all of the other things he couldn't eat."Did you see the look on that fag's face?" A boy sitting at the table next to Zim's said, causing his antennae to flick in mild interest."No, I couldn't, not through all that blood anyway." Another said and the group laughed."What nerve, coming back here like everything was sun shine and daisies." The obvious leader of the group said, all eyes of the group on him. "He should have just stayed at the hospital, little fuck." Zim's eyes widened angrily and he strained to hear more of what the group was talking about.

"Can you believe him? He didn't even scream. Maybe we should have tried harder.""Heh, too bad we didn't do more to him. Next time, let's really humiliate him, guys! Tape him to the bathroom door with duct tape and his pants dropped!" They all laughed merrily. "That fag!"

Zim tightened his hold on his plastic spork, tempted to show these pathetic humans what years of training to be an invader could really do for a person, but no, killing these human bags of filth would not get him any information, so he decided to do just what he did best. Putting on his widest smirk he got up and stalked over to the bullies' table and, leaning on it, asked, "Whachyu talking about? Shove some dork's head in a toilet or something?"

Like a charm! The group snickered, and one of them just so easily provided information that Zim desired. "Nah. Not this time! Ha, we totally beat up this one faggot and locked in him in the jan's closet!"Another laughed and joined in. "The geek-face had it coming though! He shouldn't have come back to school."

"Oh?" Zim asked, knowing he shouldn't stay and listen to anything else but needing to know, "Come back from where? Was he sick or something?"

"Psh! He's ALWAYS been sick, man!" One of the boys grinned up at Zim. "He's fricken loony! Believe in aliens and vampire and flying pigs or whatever.""But yeah, he just came from the hospital, why?" Another male looked Zim over from top to bottom. "You wanna hang out with us sometime and see how it's done or something?"Two more toothy grins made their way to Zim. "You think we should get the nut-case back out and have a little more fun with him, and let this punk beat up on him as well?""I don't know." The leader kept his eyes on Zim. "He'd need to pass our initiation."

: "What kind of initiation?" Zim asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down, his smile wide. Blending in with this crowd could benefit him very much in his overall mission, not to mention he might be able to get Dib out of a few beatings. But right when he was done he'd get Dib out of the closet.

"Tasks," One said. "Missions. You complete those and you're in.""But you have to be brave," Another mentioned. "And NOT get caught."The leader rested his chin on the net of his entangled fingers. "And you must be willing to draw blood. So what do you say, punk? You in?"

Zim almost laughed. These idiots had no idea just WHO they were talking to.He hesitated a moment, pretending to think about it a moment before shrugging and saying, "Fine. What do I have to do?"

"Meet us afterschool at the basketball court, and we'll discuss it there." In truth, the group made up a new initiation task per member to keep it interesting, and therefore, would have to sit and think about it for a bit.

Zim frowned. He had work after school. Work that he could NOT miss. "Isn't there anything I could do now?" He asked, brows furrowing."Why? Gotta go check in with your mommy after school?" One of them taunted, making faces at Zim. Zim's eye twitched. What was with boys and teasing each other about their mothers?

"If you can't hang with us after school- you can't hang with us." One of them proclaimed, a two other ones nodded in agreement. "So quit being such a loser, punk!"

Zim's muscles tightened in frustration, but he conceded. "Fine, after school it is then." The alien said before getting up, throwing his lunch away, and walking off.He wandered to halls, his antennae twitching back and forth looking for any signs of life as he went around to all of the different janitorial closets, searching for Dib.

Dib was frustrated, he was tired, and he was smelly and hungry, and currently, there was a piece of a corndog laying near his feet that made the boy's mind go astray every time he saw it. He'd groan at the moment, that is, if he had his voice. He just laid there in distress. So, horribly, bored.

Zim's left antennae flicked out. If it wasn't for the black stalks on his head he would have missed that door completely as the label designating it was a closet had been ripped off some years ago. He tried the handle, jiggling it a bit, but it was locked. Zim growled.

Dib's eyes snapped open. Somebody was here! Somebody could help get him out! But the door was locked. They'd probably would just move on and never even think about him again! As quick as he could, but in Dib's opinion want quick enough, he wormed his head closer to the door, enough to start hitting it repetitively to let his visitor know that there was, yes, indeed, a living person who needed help in there.

Zim blinked. So Dib WAS in there. Yes, he felt the spark of excitement from inside the room that could only come from Dib! So, looking around and seeing no one Zim let a mechanical spider leg, long, silver, and very deadly looking, come out of the metal pod on his back and with the tip began picking the lock, trying very hard to be careful but still quick so no one would see him. After about a minute he heard a small 'pop' and knew the lock had been broken. So he pulled the leg back into his pak and opened the door.

It was a disgusting, pitiful, gruesome sight Zim saw, with a bloodied Dib looking up at him from the floor, bruises forming all over his once pale body, along with the blood and icky water that had tipped over. He was tied up, but despite all of this, looking upon Zim's face gave him a bit of hope, and he relaxed, relieved now. Finally.

Quickly the alien bent down and began untying the rope from around Dib, the stench of the left overs of the bathroom clean up hitting his face and making him want to puke, how Dib hadn't yet was a mysterious to Zim. "Dear Irk, are you ok?" Zim asked as soon as Dib was free though it was obvious by Dib's appearance that he wasn't.

The human wobbled a little bit before bringing his fingers from his mouth to ear, without actually touching them to his face. No, that would be gross after what he had touched. But the sign had been clear to Zim. It was evident the boy just wanted to go _home._Dib rubbed his head, hissing when the mucky water had touched the open bump on his head. He looked back at Zim and shook his head.

Zim looked at Dib pityingly. What a horrible way to start off going back to school. So he nodded, saying, "Let's get you home and taken care of. Do you know where your father keeps the first aid supplies?" All the while helping Dib up and supporting him. He himself needed to go home anyway, Zim figured, to get his stuff for work so he wouldn't be late after meeting with whoever the hell the group was.

Dib was cautious as he let Zim help him was. After all, he didn't seem to like water so much, and he didn't want to get all of the icky yellow toilet water all over him. Still though, they walked. They'd have to leave school directly, but it was worth it. It was a hell being back here.Let's see... First aid supplies...Dib shook his head lightly before leaning up harder against Zim. He didn't know where he kept that sort of stuff. He didn't know where his father kept anything. His father was too much of a very important busy man to bother with the task of telling his two children where the box of bandages were if he got them. _Or if Dib or his sister had an injury._

Zim sighed but helped get Dib home anyway. "I guess now I know what you're talking about though when you told me you didn't want to go back to school." He said, giving Dib an apologetic look.

The human gave an annoyed look back at his formal nurse before pointing down his throat. Perfectly illustrating that he wouldn't mind going back to the hospital. He glared back in front of them. No, it wasn't Zim he was mad at. If anybody it was himself for letting those bullies push him around. Punch him around, too. Rather hard. With rocks.

Zim gave Dib an unamused look. "You hurt yourself again and I'll do good on my offer of putting you in a coma." He said before turning to look ahead of him.But what did he care right? He should just let the human hurt himself, it's not like it'll matter sometime in the next month right? yes, surely by then the armada would be here and Dib would go back to hating him. So why get so attached to this human?But wasn't he already attached? Going out of his way to help this human home and get him fixed up? The way he felt, like a beast was ripping its way out of his chest, when the boy's had mentioned all the horrible stuff they'd done to Did. Oh yes, he was attached, like glue. The alien's inner turmoil was clearly scene on his face though he tried to hide it. What would he do? What COULD he do?

Dib stopped, stopping Zim with him. Through all of the alien's thinking, he had totally forgotten where they were headed. Dib's home. They began walking up to the door. Once there, Dib didn't hesitate but to let go of Zim and grab the key under the mat and going in, inviting Zim with him.

Zim made a mental note about the key before walking into the house, uneasy, now that they were there with no one else, about all of the Membrane memorabilia. Who knows what could be watching them. "Do you have any idea where he would keep something like medical supplies?" Zim asked as he began searching the house, under cushions, behind the fridge, etc., etc.

Dib shook his head. He usually just curled up on the couch or in his bed and rested whenever this happened. If it was ever really bad he always just got a towel and held it where he was bleeding. It was no big deal before, and was easily suppressible.So Dib just came around to the couch and sat down. Tomorrow he'd be skipping again.

Zim sighed and got a wash cloth, about to run it under some water when he remembered, water burned him.He peeked out into the living room to make sure Dib wasn't looking as he reached into his pak and pulled out some gloves, slipping them on before soaking the wash cloth and bringing it out to clean off Dib's cuts. "Is your breathing alright?" Zim asked as he carefully cleaned off the human's face.

Dib gave Zim a confused look before nodding. What a silly question. It's not like he got stabbed their or something. If he did he wouldn't have been able to walk easily.Dib just watched Zim dab the cloth on his face. It was sort of... relaxing in all truths. And in such, Dib's eyes grew half lidded behind scratched up lenses. Having an alien as your first friend was the best feeling in the world.

Zim was very careful not to let any water drip on his clothes as he went about nursing Dib, checking for a fever, cleaning his cuts, checking to make sure nothing was broken, anything and everything he could do to make sure Dib was ok he did, short of stripping him down and giving him a full examination.

When all good and through, and Zim was _still _acting like a worried mother over the human, Dib quickly showed him the first sign he learned, _Thank you,_ before tightly grabbing onto his arm. He stared up, almost challengingly up at Zim to judge his very reaction to this. This arm would be his now.

Zim pouted at the shorter human giving his arm a few soft jerks before a few snickers, then laughter erupted from his lungs. This was all rather ridiculous wasn't it?

Dib stayed clung to Zim's arm, but his once challenging stare turned into that of a mighty big pout. What the heck was his alien laughing about? He scowled at the other, pursing his lips to show just how unpleased he was.

"You stink," Zim finally said when he could breathe. "Like, really bad, you should take a shower..." a pause for a giggle. "Or at least change clothes."

This answer unsatisfied the boy, and his face lit up in red at suddenly being reminded of how smelly he was. Oh, but he had his arm to cling to! The arm would make things better... If he could only snuggle up to it and fall asleep, everything would be better.So instead, he pouted harder at Zim, pained that he was being teased.

"Oh come on, you know it's true." Zim said, still with an apologetic look on his face, not liking to see the human unhappy. Steadily he tried to pry his arm away from the human's grip though as he said, "Why don't you go take a bath or something and I'll find something around here for you to eat, you must be hungry."

Dib eyed Zim before finally letting go. A nice warm bath sounded good right now anyway, and food sounded even better than that. Surely that would be fine.Then he thought of something._"No."_ He signed, as he stood up and glared lightly at Zim. _"No food."_

Zim blinked at Dib in confusion. "You... aren't hungry?" He asked, his brain unable to compute this and that fact showing on Zim's face.

Dib jabbed a finger towards Zim, and continued his signing. _"You are not my nurse... anymore."_ And then he folded his arms, giving his former nurse and unamused look and shook his head.

"But wouldn't it be more efficient for me to be cooking while you are bathing? That way we get more done in less time." Zim said, nodding as if agreeing with himself, which he always did. "Plus, can't a friend take care of another friend?"

Dib scowled, rolled his eyes, and promptly left to go upstairs. He'd growl if he could, but for now, he could just stand giving Zim the cold shoulder for being so helpful. It would be his bath time now.

Zim pouted. He did not at all like being ignored, not at all. In fact there was only one thing he hated more than being ignored and that was having his antennae bit, but he only hated that because that hurt, a lot. But he decided not to dwell on that, standing up and going to rummage through the kitchen for something to make for Dib and maybe himself. The only things in the cabinet was stale bread and soup and since he figure Dib had had enough of soup he went looking through the fridge, only finding enough there to make a salad of lettuce and... lettuce. So he went to look in the pantry, only finding canned pasta stuff and a half ripped open bag of flower.

Dib turned the faucets to the bath, waiting for the right mixture of cold and hot water to fill the tub. He stripped down and stared dully at his body in the mirror. Oh, it would sting him so bad once he got in the water and the clear liquid would go straight to his scrapes and cuts- fresh wounds for the water to invade. He had large red areas on his body, all up his chest, and a few on his legs. On top of that his head still spun and the steam arising from the bath wasn't helping that factor one bit. He shrugged it off, however, and stuck one foot into the water before doing the same with the other.At least he wouldn't stink anymore.

Zim spent the next ten minutes looking through the kitchen for SOMETHING edible, but came up with not a crumb of anything he'd want to feed to Dib, so, thinking quickly he made his way upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door, saying, "Dib! I'm going to go get something to eat because there's nothing in your kitchen, Throw something at the door if you want tacos."Throwing things, one of the earliest forms of communication.

Dib flinched. He didn't want Zim to get him anything though! Zim was a guest in _his_ house, and was _his_ friend, and he was going to do something for _him_ for a change. So, instead, Dib stayed as he was, not throwing anything at the door. He couldn't exactly show him with his hands what he was thinking, so Zim'll have to guess a few more times.

"Um," Zim fidgeted a little after ten seconds of hearing nothing but the quietly splashing water, his only indication that there was a Dib in there. "Burgers?"The alien tried once more.

Still, nothing.

Zim scratched the back of his head... there wasn't much else out there, what could the Dib want? "You can't seriously want to eat at that disgusting chicken place."

The water swooshed as Dib debated hitting the door by throwing a shampoo bottle, but thought better of it. Nothing for now!

"Do you want anything to eat? Or... do you just want to wait a little while to decide?" Zim asked, a little worried that Dib hadn't answered him to anything. The human would eat damnit!

Finally, the shampoo bottle met the door! Zim was a winner! He got the question right.Dib sunk more under the water, grinning smugly full of satisfaction at his win. He'd make something for Zim, and that would pay him back at least some for all of the help.

Zim pouted. Dib was probably going to refuse food now wasn't he, all depressed and stuff right?His antennae flickered. The chemicals inside Dib's body though, they weren't displaying attributes of sadness, no, in fact they were moving about quite happily, almost...That little brat was smirking at him, he could feel it, all that smugness, he was surprised Dib's head didn't explode with it. But what could he possibly have to be smug for?"Nothing I can do but sit and wait I guess." Zim said with a sigh to himself before calling through the door. "Alright, I'll be down stairs if you need me."

The conditioner met the door now.

Zim glared and pouted at the door before heading down the stairs to make himself comfy on the couch as he waited for Dib to decide what he wanted to do, get out of that acidic bath, and into some fresh, clean clothes.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI

Bullies: A little of each.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11! This story doesn't seem to be as popular as TSI and I would have liked. But we enjoyed rping it so I guess that's all that mattered. Just a little something though. Those of you reviewing with things like "I like it, despite the OOCness " really aren't complimenting us as much as I think you think you are. If you like it and have nothing to critque don't, you know, don't point out things like that. We did this for fun, it's AU, and it's fan fiction.

That said, REVIEW PLEASE!

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, (not twenty because Dib was rushing as fast as he could) Dib came down the stairs in a new wardrobe, unbloodied, and still without its holes. Ah, it was time to make something for Zim to eat! But not so soon, no. He wanted his arm back!He snuck up behind the alien before throwing his small teen hands over the other's eyes. In-between his antennae, and on top of his head did Dib rest his chin, playfully and teasingly as a warning that he feels very touchy at the moment.

"Ack!" Zim choked, moving his hand up to Dib's and asking the human, "What are you doing?" Before tilting his head up to try and get a look at him.

Dib just gave Zim a flat smile before reaching his hands down Zim's chest in an awkward backwards hug, pulling his leg up over the back of the couch so he could slide into the seat in the hug.

Zim leaned a little to help Dib slide down without falling and asked, "Feeling any better?" His antennae twitched, yes, it did seem like Dib was feeling better, however weird it was to see Dib this happy.

The hug loosened enough to glide its way to Zim's arm. And there it clung, and there Dib rested up against Zim's arm. His arm. He nodded happily, but now he could really get what he wanted; the warmth of his arm to hold and rest with.

Zim blinked down at the human, it was kinda... cute, how Dib clung to him like that. But were friends really supposed to cling like that? He saw some humans do it, it never really made sense to him. What person could want to be touched just THAT MUCH? Though he had to admit it was nice, Dib leaning in him like that. He supposed he liked taking care of the human, and that was why he liked Dib clinging to him, kind of like a pet. Yes, he deciding, almost nodding to his own thoughts. Dib was very much like a pet. A cute little doggy maybe? And he liked to take care of Dib, so really it all made perfect sense. _'And maybe when this is all over, the tallest will let me keep you..._' Zim thought as he looked down at Dib.

As if on cue, Dib looked up at Zim and met his smile with his own, more innocent one. His eyes closed, though and he went back to nuzzling Zim's arm softly before deciding it was the perfect time to rest.

Zim relaxed against the back of the couch, suddenly feeling a little protective of Dib and leaning back against him as well. Nothing would hurt Dib from now on. Not some stupid school bullies, no careless parents, no invasion. He would protect Dib from all of that, and maybe the human would have a good life in the empire. Yes, he had to keep telling himself that, had to believe that, otherwise he wasn't sure he'd be able to concentrate on his mission, his purpose in life. Without it, there was only death to greet him when the armada came.

The human never once let go of Zim's arm as sleep more and more crept upon him, but he didn't exactly want to sleep yet. No, he was enjoying just being conscious and clung onto his arm. Sleep would only subtract from his memory of living through such a good moment with Zim. Nah, but he was sleepy and he needed some rest, too. Getting beaten up and thrown in a closet with who knows what kind of liquid spilt all over the floor and his wounds always took a lot out of the boy. And thus, his brain went on autopilot and his breathing steadied out. He'd stay on the verge of sleep for as long as possible.

Zim stared up at the ceiling and idly lifted a hand up to stroke Dib's head, flinching back a little at the still burning wetness of the hair there. But he tried to play it off as static shock or something by putting his hand on the boy's face instead.

Zim was quite cozy, yes indeed. Dib would shift his weight around, closer to that warm body that he had in his possession by arm. He hummed out lightly to Zim to let him know such claws on his face pleased him, but that small, little subconscious noise that he made left him wide eyed and looking up at Zim.That hurt. For some reason he made a noise for Zim. He knew it would hurt, but was he just really that comfortable around the alien now?His eyes fell half lidded once against as he tried to ignore the knife-like feeling in his throat.

Zim's eyes quickly snapped to Dib. "Are you ok?" Zim asked, worriedly about the boy's throat, the last thing he needed was for it to tear again.

Dib nodded. He was fine, really, it was just a bit of pain and it would pass in a few hours or so. It was stupid of himself to have even made a noise, and he shouldn't had. He knew better, so instead he just curled up into an even tinier ball against Zim's arm, shifting some so that his legs were over the nurse-in-training's lap.

"You sure?" Zim asked, his antennae flicking a bit to test the air, making sure that Dib wasn't lying to him.

Once again, Dib nodded, but instead of resting his head back on his arm, moved to his chest where his hands, as well, curled up there.

Zim wrapped an arm around Dib, keeping him there and giving the boy a small amount of comfort. He knew that sound must have hurt at least a little bit. "Are you tired?" Zim asked, resisting the urge to let his head against the top of Dib's and burn himself again. "Want me to carry you up to your room?"

What an _awful _idea! Dib's bed didn't have _Zim's warmth._ Though, he was falling asleep at an extraordinary rate. The boy shook his head, nuzzling more into that chest he so did enjoy. No, Zim is his bed right now. And his pillow. And his heat. And his comfort. And his band aide, however much that band aid barely worked on his throat, it was quite alright at the moment.

"Ok," Zim said, scratching the boy's back lightly and leaning his head back against the back of the couch, sighing in a bit of comfort at the human's weight against him. This was kind of nice, like that time Dib had gotten into his jacket with the invader still inside of it. The memory made him chuckle a little.

It didn't take very long for, despite how much Dib was enjoying this, to fall asleep at the sweet, sweet touches Zim was giving him, whether he exactly knew what he was doing or not.

After a while of just sitting there Zim looked back down at Dib, about to ask him when he would want to eat when he stopped, shocked. The human had fallen asleep? When had that happened? And on top of him no less! Not that it really mattered, but what was he going to do now for the next however long it was until Dib woke up?

That's when the door creaked, signaling the entrance of a very tall, very white coated man with shiny goggles. The man just waltzed in as if he owned the place, which he did, and stopped in the living room to look at the two on the couch. There, on the couch was two teens, one of which, a much younger teen it looked, was his son."Oh, hi, my son's nurse!" The man waved. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um, hi," Zim said back, giving Membrane a wave in return. "I go to your son's school. He ran in to a little bit of an accident while there though, so I brought him home to fix him up, I hope you don't mind." Zim couldn't help but blush a little at the position they were discovered in.

"Oh, that's interesting." The man said before waving him off to dismiss him as he made his way to his lab. "Make sure he does his homework." Just like that, he was gone as quick as he had came.

Zim blinked confusedly at the professor. How... weird. So dismissive and... would uncaring be the word? He certainly seemed interested in Dib's grades though, so he couldn't be completely useless right?Zim shook his head. It wasn't any of his business, pretty soon it wouldn't matter anyway. He would meet the same fate as every other human anyway.He looked back down at Dib, wondering if he should wake the human up now and make him eat something whether he wanted to or not, he was so thin, making the alien wonder how often he had been locked in closets before going to the hospital.

Dib just twisted in Zim's arms until his forehead laid against Zim's chest. His fingers curled up to grip his school shirt. It was a rather soft cotton, nothing like the scrubs Zim wore before has his uniform. This all just made it easier for the boy, like a child, to drool.

Zim gasped and jumped at the feeling of the wetness seeping into his shirt and for a moment he thought it was water, but there was no burn.

The human's breathing persisted until his arms rose and wrapped around Zim's neck, now hanging by some miracle as he continued his sloppy sleep where a dream of sorts was being formulated in his mind. Oh, and what a dream that was, as well.

"Come here you." Zim whispered, wrapping both arms around the human and carefully getting up, then moving his arms lower to make sure he didn't drop the now slightly shorter human as he made his way upstairs.

With the boy's sleeping disturbed, he opened his eyes to see his nurse carrying him away. He knitted his brows as he yawned and went back to resting up against his chest, but only stayed awake to watch them move, until he saw his bed.Dib wrapped his arms tighter around Zim's neck, stiffening a bit. He didn't want to let go of his perfect heat source! It made him entirely too happy to even touch, nevertheless sleep on! He couldn't do this! He couldn't remove Dib from him as if he was a _problem! _He was too cozy!

Zim gave Dib a small nuzzle at the boy's movements and sat Down on the bed before trying to pry Dib off him. He had to make the boy something to EAT damn it!"Come on Dib, I need to get you food." Zim said quietly, thinking the boy was still asleep.

Dib shook his head on Zim's chest, feeling against his cheek the saliva that he had let fall against Zim's shirt.Oh, _how so very embarrassing!_But the boy wouldn't let go. He wanted to sleep with his Zim some more if it was going to kill the alien in the process!

Zim gave a small whine before giving up. The boy was just too insistent on this!"I suppose," He said with a sigh. "Your emotional needs and come before your physical needs just this once."

Dib grinned up at Zim triumphantly, staring up at him with a look of glee in his golden sunset eyes. Another victory for Earth!

Zim gave Dib a small smile back before flopping down onto his side, dragging Dib down with him, their arms still wrapped around each other.

Dib's grin turned sweet yet smug. He could tell what Zim's plan was. He was going to wait until he fell asleep on the comfy bed before he'd leave. Well! Dib wasn't going to have any of that!The human pushed up against Zim, rolling him onto his back as he comfortably laid on top, snuggling his taller ex-nurse-in-training. This way- if he did fall asleep, Zim couldn't get up without waking him up.

Zim made noises of protest before growling slightly, annoyed that he could be defeated so easily by this young human. But he gave in, hugging the human close and letting his head lay comfily against the human's pillow. "Fine," He said, pouting. "You win, I'll stay, but you WILL have lunch before your sister get's home from school, got it?"

Dib nodded victoriously against his chest, happy with this. He had no problem at all with eating, but he just didn't want to eat when he was so comfortable, and he wanted to make food for Zim to boot.Ah, but now it felt like sleeping wouldn't come his way, as tiny bits of emotion he couldn't explain danced their way in his chest, telling him that, hey, despite the pain in his throat and many bruises, he felt pretty good like this!

Zim scratched boredly against Dib's back. He didn't feel like sleeping at all, in fact he was so riddled with anxiety he probably couldn't FORCE himself to sleep. No, not by a long shot. There was the Tallest to worry about. She didn't seem to like Zim's progress on conquering Earth. What little progress there was. And he NEEDED to finish his mission! But Dib, he wanted to spend time with Dib, just like they were now, relaxing together, happy. He knew that Dib wouldn't be happy once his mission was over, at least not at first, but surely the human could get used to the Earth being taken over by his old nurse's race, right? Humans seemed to be quite adaptable. He sighed and scratched more at Dib's back, giving it little rubs here and there. Doing this seemed to help him calm down greatly, as well as the human's weight on him as it was. Nice and warm and soft. Dib was very much a child wasn't he?

Dib wouldn't say he was _bored _at the moment, but he wasn't doing anything, and he couldn't go back to sleep for some odd reason. This was partially caused for reasons he couldn't explain, and partially caused by overwhelming warm tingly sensation going all throughout his chest, which was, as well, something he couldn't explain.Zim just felt so comfortable. So real. So warm. He felt the indents of the foreign muscle on Zim's chest under his cheek. He could feel his shoulder muscles under his hands, and under his chest he could feel Zim's stomach. Zim must have grown even more, because under Dib's stomach was _still _Zim's stomach muscle, leaving where his butt was to be his--Dib blushed furiously. He was sitting on Zim's crotch! He wasan _alien, _but _still!_ One doesn't just do that! This was.. this was so weird! He couldn't pull himself up now, though. He could feel his cheeks grow hot, and he didn't want at all to show Zim he was uncomfortable or blushing, or Zim would have the same thoughts, or even worse, _get Dib off._ But Dib _liked _just laying on top of Zim like this. But all the while, this was weird.

Zim's antennae flicked. That was odd. Dib's chemistry suddenly spiked in a very odd way, in ways that completely set them aside from Irkens. Irkens didn't do THAT. The human's chemicals seemed to be just raging. He had felt other human's particularly his classmates' bodies react like that before, mostly around the bathrooms and locker rooms. And he was blushing. Did Dib know his body was doing that?

Dib shifted slightly on top of Zim, but the rubbing only made it worse. Oh yeah, he could feel down there for sure, now. The human pushed his forehead up against Zim's chest, unable to control just how hot his face was getting. But he wanted to _stay! _This shouldn't be happening! He wasn't suppose to feel so awkward and nice and shy all of a sudden! He wanted to make it stop- but all at the same time he just-

Zim shifted a little himself, Dib seemed... tense. Did THAT have something to do with all those chemicals? He remembered though, humans had those sensitive nerves right arooooound...He poked Dib's sides, waiting to see if the human was at all ticklish.

Dib inhaled and squirmed all about Zim while catching his claws in his nervous-induced clammy hands. It took his full might not to just squeal or sit up to reveal to Zim his reddened face.

Zim giggled a little at the reaction he got. "I'm sorry, that didn't hurt your throat did it?" Zim asked quickly, just realizing human's made noise when that happened.

Dib glared hard at his chest, just not to look up and glare Zim in the face. He couldn't see him right now. Although he felt loads more comfortable once more on Zim's _body, _he still couldn't quite get over the fact of what was going on. And did _Zim _realize this? He should. He is older, after all. Ah- but then again, he is an alien. Right. That made it feel ALL the more awkward.

"Dib?" Zim asked, a little worried now. Did that rush of stuff in Dib's body mean he was sick. "Are you alright? Feeling ok?"

Dib nodded, but upon nodding, he made sure to rub up against Zim some more. Oh, but this was so _wrong._

"Are you sure?" Zim asked, putting a hand to Dib's forehead. "You feel kinda warm."

Dib felt all the more hot at Zim's touch. Finally, he pulled himself up to stare down at Zim, pouting ferociously, all the while mesmerized by how the laying teen looked at the moment. Oh, his stomach twisted with feeling.

"Maybe... low blood sugar... or maybe there was some kind of germ in that closet that's making you sick?" Zim offered, sitting up a little and leaning on his elbows. "Maybe I should get up and get you some medicine?"

This was all too much! Zim was being too nosy about this!In a rush, Dib pushed himself off of the alien and began running. He ran clear out of his room. _Stupid Zim, ruining everything!_

Zim blinked confusedly in the direction Dib ran. That human, what was his problem? Slowly Zim got up and followed the human, wanting to make sure he wasn't going to get sick, that would be VERY bad for his throat right now.

A door slammed. There, Dib took cover in his little sister's room, still holding onto the girl's doorknob as he sat on the floor. Zim couldn't get in! He wouldn't let him! He felt too embarrassed! Just what was all of that? Why did he allow it to just continue? How horrible!

"Dib?" Zim asked, standing outside of the random door. This was all too weird. And he felt sort of bad, was it something he did? Did he... somehow offend the human? He still wasn't very familiar with the human culture, so that idea wasn't very farfetched. "Did I... did I do something wrong?"

Dib let go of the doorknob and leaned back on his hands. It wasn't the alien's fault. He didn't know. Even if he did know it was his own fault for being a spaz.Oh, but it was so weird! Dib fell onto his back to stare up at the ceiling, trying to collect his thoughts.

Zim visibly wilted, his antennae going limp against his head. He HAD done something then? "Dib, I'm sorry," He said as he knocked on the door. "What-whatever is was, I didn't mean it."

Dib paused his breathing to pull himself back up. Was the alien... ...apologizing to him for something he didn't do?Slowly, Dib stood and took a hold of the doorknob again. Turning it, he revealed himself to the alien, a lot less flustered in the face as he panted softly.

"Um, hi," Zim said a little nervously, giving the human a little wave, unsure if he was supposed to do anything from there.

Dib stood there a moment longer before bending over and putting his hands on his knees, still trying to slow his heart down. He rose his head and brought his hand to his mouth, signing _"Food"_ to let Zim know that all has passed and it was time to eat.

"Right," Zim said, smiling a little nodding, happy that Dib was ready to eat. "So, what do you want me to get, or, do you just want to go out?"

Dib deadpanned and stood up straight. He looked very unamused. And so, just like that, he brushed past Zim and made his trek down stairs.

Zim grunted confusedly. What did he do THIS time!? He followed the human down stairs, asking, "Then what are we supposed to do? You have nothing in the house to eat so I can't make you anything here."

The boy walked straight into the kitchen. He has taken care of himself hundreds of times just fine without the nurse's help, and he can do it hundreds of times more!He found his way to the counter, and opened up a cabinet. There, he ruffled through things, to find something suitable to eat.

"I already looked there." Zim said, putting his hands on his hips. "Really I don't mind spending the money."

Dib grinned when, in the back, he found his prize!Noodles!Without hesitation, he pulled the two packages out and plopped them on the counter as he reached over for a pot to pour water into, as he quickly did.

Zim's antennae quivered. Dib was making something with water, perfect, and he would have to eat it too, lest he raise suspicion.

The water filled the pot, and Dib brought it to the stove where he put it on high to let the water boil. The human then walked over to Zim and defiantly put his hands on his own hips to show that, yes, he was indeed capable!

"Y-you know I could have done that if you'd asked." Zim pointed out, his eyes glancing from the stove to Dib then back and forth again. "You don't have to act all independent all the time, you can lean on me if you need to."

_"I __don't__ need to._" Dib signed. _"I wanted to for you."_ Then he folded his arms and showcased a pout.

'Why?" Zim asked confusedly, tilting his head to the side. "You're the sick one, not me."

Dib glared before pulling his hands out and shoving Zim's chest angrily. He was capable! He could do anything! He had before. This wasn't the first time he had to cook something for himself after getting beaten up, and it's not exactly like he was ill! Zim had been too nice. He needed to do something for him.

Zim scowled slightly, his face more shocked than angry, but still! That was uncalled for! "What!?" Zim asked.

_"You deserve it. Let me."_ Dib signed harshly, pride wounded by the alien.

Zim blinked confusedly. What? He deserved it? For doing what? But he didn't push this, instead just putting his hands to his sides and blinking up at Dib as he side, "Ok."

_"Good."_ Dib nodded and walked back over to the pot of water to continue what he was doing.

Zim looked around him, wondering if there were cameras watching him, or, you know, there had to be SOMETHING wrong. He was never deserved of anything, the Tallest even said so, on every occasion. So this just made no sense at all. But he wasn't going to argue with the obviously moody teen, so he sat there obediently as he waited for Dib to finish cooking.

After fifteen minutes of Dib stirring a giant pot filled with two packages full of noodles, he tipped the pot over into a giant bowl he intended on sharing with Zim, keeping most of the water in the pot as the noodles spilled into the large bowl. Happily, he got out two forks; he didn't have any chopsticks; and merrily brought it over to where Zim was sitting on the couch, setting it in between him and where Dib now sat.

Zim looked nervously at the noodles. All that water, though murky with flavoring as it was. Could he really eat that?He looked at Dib, so proud of himself for that meal. There was no way he couldn't eat at least a bit. "Thank you," He said and signed, taking the fork and poking the noodle a bit.

Dib happily stabbed the noodles with his fork before turning it, twisting and wrapping the noodles in the fork so he could bring it up to his lips and slurp it up.Oh yes. Pineapple flavor, his favorite.

Zim nervously did the same as Dib, biting onto his noodles and squinting, expecting terrible pain.And there was, it burned so bad! But most of it was from the temperature as the flavoring soaked up a lot of the water and as he pulled the hot noodle from the liquid a lot of it evaporated off. But it still stung like being popped with bacon grease.

Dib stared at Zim in front of him, giving him an odd look as he swirled up more noodles for himself. What was HIS problem?

"Th-thank you Dib." Zim said, giving the human a small smile before taking another bite, blowing the noodles off this time.

Dib just kept his eyes fixed on the alien as he went for more bites, filling his hunger up with the noodles that so yearned to be eaten.

By the time the noodles were gone Zim's mouth stung lightly, but not enough to make a scene and so he simply gave Dib yet another thank you and a small hug for the delicious (though slightly painful) meal.

Dib grinned back, and proceeded to put the bowl away. It wasn't long till Dib returned and wrapped his arms around his Zim from behind the couch. The small hug descended into a poking of Zim's cheeks by very prying human fingers.

"Eeeeh," Zim hummed, straining his head to look at the human. "Hello." He said, humor in his voice. The human was so playful. That's when his eyes met the clock. TWO THIRTY!? School let out at THREE! He had to get back or miss his meeting because he still had to get his work stuff! "Di-Dib, I have to go." Zim said, his face displaying how disappointed he was that he had to leave the human.

Dib's face fell to equal disappointment and confusion, though he still managed a semi-smile there. Why so early? Dib let go of Zim's cheeks to walk around the cough and plop himself onto Zim's lap, peering foreword and frowning immensely.

"D-Dib, come on, I have stuff to do." Zim said sadly, putting a hand on Dib's cheek softly.

Dib pouted and tapped his forehead up against Zim's to stare at his foreignly strange shaped eyes. He puffed out his chest in this position to show Zim that he wouldn't at ALL be happy if he left, soft hand on his cheek that seemed to make his whole skin tingle or not!

Zim gave a small whine, glancing at the clock quickly. If he didn't leave right then he'd miss meeting with those bullies. But... Dib... he couldn't resist for some reason. He was just so... DIB! How could ANYONE!? So, with a sigh, he turned back around and said, "Alright, alright. Half an hour more but then I REALLY have to go or I'll miss work."

Dib, unable to squeal in joy, smiled like mad, wrapping his arms around the invader for a tight hug. Yet another victory for Earth!

Zim smiled at how happy this seemed to have made the boy and hugged him back, just as tight. "And you BETTER not make me late for work." He added, though with very little threat in his voice.

Dib savored the hug a little longer before pulling from his ex-nurse and giving a Cheshire grin. Nah, he'd _never _keep Zim from his old men to tend to.

"Where is that sign language book?" Zim asked, looking around. "I can at least be _productive _while I'm here, right?"

Dib stuck his tongue out, but obligedly got up and started walking upstairs, leaving Zim alone with his thoughts.

Zim hummed as he waited for Dib to get back with the book, still wondering about earlier, and if he was really in trouble or if there was really something wrong with Dib' body, he seemed fine now, but was he really ok?

Dib returned happily with the sign language book. He hadn't mastered it, at all, but he didn't feel the need to study it as much anymore. After all, the only one he could talk to in it was Zim. So, he sat next to him, and handed him the book.

"Great, you got it." Zim said, giving Dib a smile. "Now, we were still working in the 'L's right?" He flipped through the book until he found the right section.

Dib nodded, and made sure to sit criss-cross positioned so he could watch Zim's every move to mimic.

Zim looked at the book and pointed to the sign he was looking for. "Now then, loud." He put his finger to the spot on his head where and ear would be for the sign 'hear' and then put his fists inform of them and shook them, combining the sign before with the one for 'shake'.

Dib, though daydreaming a bit, mimicked Zim perfectly. It was kind of a boring word. Loud. How would he say that? "I am loud?" No. He wasn't.Dib deadpanned Zim, now waiting for the next word.

Zim nodded and with a smile pointed to the next word, making the motions, hugging his hands over where a human heart would be. _'Love_,'

The human blinked. _Love._ Now _there_ was a word with slight interest. Only slight, though. It was certainly something he could use. "I love you," being the main thing. What a daydream that is. Him actually _loving_ somebody. But then again, he did love his hobbies. He loved to write, he loved to doodle, however bad he was at it. He loved the supernatural.Dib snapped out of it, and stared up at Zim. How did he do it again? _Love._

Zim smiled and went about giving Dib an example, something he though the boy could relate to. He pointed to himself, then made the sign for love before putting his two index fingers together and then made the letter 'V' on both hands, pointing them away from his head and moving them away and to finish putting his to index fingers side-by-side and rubbing them at about head height._'I love to watch stars.'_

Dib watched, and picked up the sign for love. He quickly brought his fingers to his lips and brought his hand forwards in a scurry to say thanks before he held his arms as a cross over his heart. Yeah, love. This was it.

Zim nodded with a wide grin and went on with examples, seeing if Dib could hold at least some form of a conversation while at the same time trying to learn a little bit more about Dib, as he never really (not that he could) talk about himself.He pointed to himself once more, then pulled the index finger of his left hand up with his right hand and made the sign for love, then 'to' once more by touching his index fingers together and watch, pointing out with the two 'V's, then touching his index fingers again only pulling one away from the other and then placing one hand on top of the other and making his arm straight and making moving the other arm under it like a giant 'T', he then put his hand on his chest and then moved his hands out straight, then brought them down as if feeling three sides of a box._'I especially love to watch from on top of my house.'_

He had to be kidding! That was too hard! Dib had to sit and stare and think to remember a few of the words. Finally, the human pointed to himself before making the sign for love by crossing his arms over his chest once more. Then he thought, trying to recall things. Then he waved his fingers and thumbs by his chin, tapped his forehead with his thumb, and formed a G, A, and then drew a Z._"I love Mom, Dad, Gaz."_

"Who is Gaz?" Zim asked and signed by drawing a circle around his mouth and then spelling out each letter the way Dib had done.

Dib blinked. That's right, Zim had only met her once before.He then made the sign for girl across his cheek and formed his fingers to an 'L' to his wrist to say it simply, _"Sister."_

"The angry girl?" Zim asked with a bit of amusement, making the sign for angry by pulling his fingers from his face as the bent.

Dib smirked back and circled his hands up his chest before making the sign for girl._"The furious girl."_

Zim laughed and nodded. before signing again and saying, "I haven't met your mom yet." His hands pointing to himself, then pulling into himself, his hands in the form of and 'A' flicking out from under his chin, making the 'V' to indicate eyes once more and pulling in front of his face, then pointing to Dib and making the sign for 'Mom'.

Dib kept his lighthearted smile towards Zim. The human again made the sign for mom and followed it up by thrusting the sign for "A" up to his chin and waving his arms out in front of his chest for a, _"Mom's not here."_

Zim idly shook his index finger as he asked, "Where is she?"

Dib took the book from Zim and began going through it, thumbing through pages until he found the V's. He pulled his thumbs under his armpits like he was putting on a backpack. _"Vacation"_, Dib smiled.

Zim smiled and made the 'S' symbol with his hand and pulled it away from his ear, wiggling it a little. "Sounds nice."

Dib smiled more and nodded before picking the book up and setting it back on Zim's lap to continue their lesson.

the half hour passed by in a flash and only too soon it was time for Zim to leave to which he sighed and signed, "I have to go."

Dib frowned and looked at the clock. He did, after all, say he'd let Zim go so he wouldn't be late for work but... The human looked back at Zim, sticking out his bottom lip in show this wasn't making him happy. _"Stay here."_ He signed, continuing his pout.

"I can't, I have to go." Zim said, though obviously torn about that. "I have to take care of old people."

Dib stuck out his tongue to show what respect he had for that before he grabbed Zim's wrist with both hands, making sure to keep him the place he was at the moment.

"Diiiiiiib," Zim wined, tugging at his hand. "I have to gooooooooooo."

Dib glared, pouted, and while letting go of Zim's wrist, jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb, getting out an angry, _"Fine!"_

"Don't be like that, you promised." Zim said, pouting back and rubbing his wrists. "But if you want I can stop by when I'm done."

Dib broke his pout when he heard a noise from the lab. He turned his head to check back at the sound. How interesting, his father was home. But he looked back at Zim and flapped his hand, pridefuly dismissing him as though he didn't care.

"Ok," Zim said, standing up and making his way over to the door, "If I can make it then I'll see you after work." He then gave Dib a small wave bye before slipping out the door and jogging his way home, grabbing his stuff, and jogging back. All the while he wondered about Dib's mood. It changed so easily and it was hard to keep up with the growing teen. One minute he was happily learning sign language and the next he was so down, and while talking about his mother too! Most boys loved their mothers. What was WITH this kid!?

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI


	12. Chapter 12

Yay! Something that looks like plot happens in this chapter! Chapter tweeeeeelve!

Oh, and sorry if paragraphs seem to run along into each other, for some reason when I upload the documents some paragraphs get smooshed together, which I think is the reason for the spacing problem as well. Let me know if you see any and maybe someday I'll fix it. XD

* * *

It was a fresh day at school and Zim was making his way ever closer to the prison for teenagers being fed paper to mentally work with, along with bullies to confront. He had missed his meeting with the bullies from before to spend some extra time with Dib but he had no clue how that was going to play out. The busy talking of students hanging outside of the school buzzed and caught the alien's senses. Yes, welcome to school.

He sighed as he made his way onto the grounds, hoping Dib wouldn't skip out on school today, as much as he deserved a day off, and he made sure to keep an eye out for Dib's tormentor's, not wanting to get caught off guard by them.

At that moment, The Dib Human found his target! Zim! And with a grin he started walking up to the green Irken just waiting around seemingly for nothing. That is, until he saw the bullies from before, ALSO approaching Zim. At that moment, he tried to pretend as if he didn't even see Zim and hid behind some people to enter the building."So, green kid!""HA! You said 'green'!""Uh, yeah. So hey, green kid! Where were you yesterday? We waited for your punk-ass!" One of the bullies who had approached Zim had started, the other behind as back-ups."Yeah, what are you, chicken or something?"

Zim just hummed a greeting to acknowledge the others' presence around him before smiling nonchalantly and saying, "Sorry, I had forgotten about work after school when I told you I would meet you, so I couldn't make it." Then with a shrug he began to walk off when one of the bullies grabbed the irken's shoulder and another moved around to the front of him to hinder his retreat.

"The way I see it is... you're either _in, _you don't _know about us, _or _you do know about us._ And the problem with you, green-boy, is that you're not in our group. And you don't just want to _know _about us, trust me." The teen grinned darkly, and a few of his friends behind him snickered and laughed sharply.

Zim stared at the teen who was just talking. If you could call it that. "What? Is that... supposed to be threatening or something?"

The leader just blinked, a bit dumbfounded by the gall of the other. His friends had stopped laughing instantly as well."I don't know if you know, _Freak, _but we can do whatever the hell we want in this school, and nobody will do a damn thing about it." He glared, pulling in closer to speak in a non-existent ear covered by Zim's wig to whisper. "And we won't hesitate to _DO _whatever the hell we want."The group slowly surrounded Zim, walking like large cats in a zoo surrounding their prey.

Zim's face twisted up none-too-happily and he gave the leader a small shove, gasps seeming to echo around him. "You know, you REALLY shouldn't be making fun of gay people when you're making threats from THAT close."More gasps and several whisperings followed.

The leader's eyes widened to an extreme level before his arm retreated to send a punch straight for Zim's stomach.

Zim's own eyes widened and he tried to side step, some feet in the crowd tripping him and making him fall to the side, but at least he had dodged that punch.

The group laughed, and by this time their audience chanted 'fight, fight, fight, fight', while showing their fists in the air and wooting. Another bully kicked at the dirt to get it dusted into Zim's eye while somebody else even began kicking at Zim's back. The leader just stood there, flustered in fury at the words of the strange green kid.

Zim growled but was not worried. He was a SOLDIER damn it! He could take these punks on without hands! But he would be using his hands this time. Kicking the knees of one human he pushed himself up and punched the face of the human that had kicked that disgusting... urgh, DIRT at him, hard enough to incapacitate without causing too much damage.

The teen quickly fell back onto his butt, holding onto his face in agony as another teen, from behind Zim, jumped onto his back and wrapped his arms around his throat in such a way to choke Zim. It didn't take long for the leader to catch on and using this hold to his advantage to start punching Zim again.

Zim coughed desperately for air, trying to get his arm at a good angle to elbow the one behind him while trying to use his other arm to defend himself from the punches, on the whole failing but able to spare himself at least some pain. Not that these humans were particularly strong, but with enough momentum a child could cause injury. A little time passed and Zim was losing focus as his oxygen supply was running way too low. He brought both hands up to try and get the arms from around his neck, digging his claws into flesh.

The human holding Zim's head hostage yapped. That felt like cat claws digging into his flesh and trying to rip his arms off of him- so he let go, leaving the leader to just stand and watch along with the one on the floor."YOU'RE STUPID!" One of them cried out frustratedly as the bell rang. They all just stayed there as Zim panted before the one on the floor stood up and began walking into the double-doors, leaving the crowd disappointed and dispersing too."Whatever, well... we'll see you next time, freak." And then the other two left. The one straddling behind stared back at the freaky green kid ever couple of seconds to make sure he wasn't the monster that viciously just tour into his arm.

Zim waited a little while before turning to head to class, sending a glare to the bleeding kid before letting it go and moving on.Is this how Dib had to start his school days? How depressing. He didn't blame him suddenly for wanted to tear at his throat now.

As Zim walked his lonely, agitated way back to class, a hand came up to reach him from behind, taking hold of his shirt to stop him in his place.

Zim jumped almost out of his skin. When had someone snuck up on him!? He quickly turned around only to sigh, it was just Dib. "Hi!" He said cheerfully, mood much better at the sight of a friendly face.

Dib just stood there, staring at the other, guilt flooding over him. In one quick motion, he pulled Zim closer to him as he, himself pulled closer, to wrap his arms tightly around the other's torso. A familiar warm feeling coming with that alongside the guilt.

"H-hey, are you ok?" Zim asked, hugging the other back, feeling the boy's chemicals shift very oddly.

Dib didn't want to have to pull away from Zim at the moment to show him any sign language. He just wanted to hold him! To hold him and to pour his emotion into the hug. He had just let the bullies get him, and he didn't do anything about it. He was an awful friend.

Zim stayed there in the hug, feeling the need to sit but not wanting to move, the hug made everything better and he didn't want the lose that feeling that was coming from it, whatever it was.

"HA! DIB THE FAG!" A voice called out from down the hall, forcing Dib to instantly let go of Zim to stare up at him with wide eyes. His face went bright red and he took this opportunity to sign _"Sorry",_ like he wanted to before by rubbing a circle over his heart with his fist.

Zim almost missed Dib's signing, growling back at whoever said that before he softened back up and said, "You didn't do anything wrong, people are just jerks."

Dib's eyes fell to their feet. He knew this, but he couldn't help but feel it all just sucked too much anyway that he could let that happen. And that he was hugging Zim in public! Why did that seem so much worse now than in private? Oh right. Other kids. He looked back up at Zim, and gave him the sign for sorry once more.

"Stop apologizing." Zim said, giving Dib a smile and putting his hand on Dib's shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong, _anything_, it doesn't matter what anyone else says, because Zim says you didn't."

Dib stared at the other for a good while before giving him another, but much more brief hug and pulled away once more. He pointed to the clock in the hall sadly.

"Oh yeah, we have to get to class don't we?" Zim said with a much sadder smile. "Stupid math."

Dib nodded. He pointed down a hall and straightened his backpack before walking the direction he pointed. Biology.

"Bye!" Zim said, waving at Dib before heading his own way, feeling his body starting to heal itself already.

* * *

It was in the passing to next class when Zim was walking by the boy's restroom he felt something very familiar. His antennae twitched in air as he felt the very same type of chemicals as he felt from his human Dib just by passing by the restroom. It seem to pulsate, like a wave. Waves, really, getting stronger and stronger and almost unbearable like being stuck in an oven with no way out, just to shrivel up in the heat. This caught the alien's attention like no other.

So the alien poked his head into the bathroom, moans and groans along with the waves reaching his antennae.

There, in plain view, on the counter sat a very pretty girl in a very short skirt. Her face was red, and her legs were far apart enough for a muscular older teen to fit in between to kiss her hard and yank at her light pink panties. His pants, themselves, were loose and just hanging at his ankles. Oh yes. This was the direction of the flow all right. Gasps, moans, groans, red hot faces and panting came from the couple at the counter, completely oblivious to the Irken Invader in the threshold of the door.

Zim's eyes widened, what was that- and that- and that THING!? Were they-...? Another moan.'Oh Irk they are!' Zim almost threw-up, but he managed to get out of the bathroom in time. Those chemicals, that imbalance, did that come from- and Dib, what was all of that about?

"_OH GOD!_" The girl from inside screamed as something pretty exciting was probably happening in her life at the moment, leaving Zim to feel even more uncomfortable. Oh, and he moaned, too, just as loud! He wasn't even IN the bathroom and they were audible.

Zim hid his eyes as if that would make the image leave his brain, but it was still there! And the noise! He had to get out of there, so ran to his next class, English.

"ZIM!" A happy red-headed fourteen-year-old boy, masked in freckles and pimples shot his voice up when he saw a very flustered Zim come into the room.Likewise, Dib turned his head to see Zim, as well. His face brightened up immensely to know that his best friend had the _very same class _as he did! Perhaps it would be tolerable now?

Zim groaned at the sound of a very familiar and very annoying voice. So much for sanctuary. "Keef, you really have to leave me alone, really, I'm not that great a person to be friends with." That's when he looked up and saw Dib and his face lit up. That is, until his antennae flicked, reminding him of what he had just seen and then his smile turned a little more nervous. "H-hi Dib." He said as he moved over to sit next to Dib, almost completely ignoring the red head now.

Extatic, the mute teen signed _"Class together"_ with his hands, so overjoyed at seeing Zim in here with him."Hey, buuuuuuuddy!" Keef sat in front of Zim, and peered back at him, completely ignoring Dib's flails. "So, I'm having a BIRFDAY party, Zim!" He squeaked and put a card on Zim's desk of a cow mooing with a stupid punch line inside. "Since you're so great, and we're BEST OF BUDIES, I thought you could go!"Dib just stared and blinked, his smile not dropping, but his confusion rising some.

Zim looked from the card, to Keef, then back to Dib, then around in a circle once more. He really didn't want to go to this annoying leech's birthday party, so he just gave a small smile to Keef and said quickly, "We'll see," Before turning back to Dib and asking only with his hands, _'How are you?'_

_"Good."_ Dib responded smiling brightly back before pointing a finger at Zim in question, having no idea what all he had just seen and _felt._Keef just watched, feeling a bit disappointed by the attention being taken away from him. But this was sort of interesting watching his hero talk to the school's biggest zero. He MUST be brave if he's waving hands with a crazy person.

Zim just shrugged in response, picking a little at the card Keef had given him, wondering what exactly a birthday party was. But he quickly stomped that thought aside to dwell on something a little bit more, uh, pressing, like those emotions and those, just, rushing waves of chemicals he had felt from the bathroom, oh so similar to how Dib's ran when he was laying on top of the alien.

Dib's emotions and smile dropped as he noticed just how less enthusiastic about this the alien was than he, and quickly with his hands formed the question of, _"What's wrong?"_That's when Mrs. Malloy cleared her throat and caught the attention of the whole class so she could screech out her horrible voice to talk about sentence clauses, and why sentences should not end with prepositions on.

'Nothing," Zim signed, shaking his head as he tried to pay attention to what the teacher was saying, but finding himself glancing at Dib every minute or so.

Dib scribbled in his notebook as the English teacher spoke. He already knew all about clauses and prepositional phrases, and thus, this was very boring to try to learn _again. _Though, he could feel Zim's eyes weigh themselves down on him every few seconds here and there. He didn't pay it much mind. They were friends, so that seemed reasonable enough to do in class.

"Pssst, Buddy!" The puffy red haired boy strained out a whisper and passed a note back to Zim.Upon opening it, Zim could read the words written in pretty frilly letters with hearts for Is and rainbows and unicorns drawn to the side._Why are you being nice to Diblets? (P.S. You're my bestest best, best friend ever, Zim!) (P.S.S. When I grow up, I want to be just like you!)_

Zim resisted the urge to hit his head on his desk. Every... single... day with this kid. Furiously he wrote his reply down and past it back, the note reading: _Because, he's my friend._

Keef gave the note a good look over, reading out loud if only slightly. He studied the letters and words carefully. Then it dawned on him! He wrote the alien back._Oh, I see! This is a test! I get it. You __don't__ really like him. It's okay, Zim. You can be mean to somebody around me. I'll still like you! I like you a lot, you know. You're amazing and COOL._

Dib glanced over at the passing of notes. Zim sure did make friends easily. Which was neat, he supposed, but left him sort of feeling more alone. That was alright though. Zim could have his friend. He would just have to suppress his immense jealousy.

Zim gave Keef a glare. If they were such good friends then why did everything he said shoot right over Keef's head?He scribbled something back to the boy and passed it back._He IS my friend! Lay off him!_

_Wow, Zim! You DO have a big heart! You're my hero. I __couldn't__ do that._ The note returned.

Zim grumbled, feeling the urge to crumble the paper ball up and throw it at Keef's head... so he did, first writing in red, _'whatever'_ on the paper.

Dib looked over to see what was happening, but just when he did, he heard a sharp, pointed voice from the front of the classroom call his name."Dib Membrane!"The boy nearly jumped out of his skin!"Just what's so distracting that you'd be looking away in my amazing lesson about grammar?" She was glaring daggers at the boy. Hot pointed daggers that could melt the room, but instead, only melted Dib. He shuffled uneasily in his chair, opening his mouth but no noise came out."Never mind that. Give the class an example of a clause with a sentence mentioning what was so distracting you couldn't pay attention to me- If. You. Really. Were." The teacher made her words jagged, making the boy sink further in the chair.

Zim's eyes darted between the teacher and poor Dib, knowing he probably did something to get Dib into trouble, s quickly he tapped the boy's desk to get his attention and silently signed, _"Do you want me to say anything?"_

Dib panted uneasily, his face getting redder as more eyes fixed themselves on him, some belonging to smirking face. He quickly nodded, flinging his scythish lock into the air to bounce as his head continued the harsh pattern of "_Yes_."

Quickly Zim raised his hand and without even waiting for the teacher to acknowledge him shouted out, "Miss, he can't talk!"

Mrs. Malloy narrowed her faded green eyes in Zim's direction. "Then _Membrane _can tell me this himself!"

The class giggled. Dib was right. The teachers _were _outrageous and never believed the truth.Oh, and Dib sunk more in his desk, hoping more than anything just to become invisible.

Zim glared at the teacher before turning to Dib and signing right where she could see it but knowing she wouldn't be able to tell what he was saying, "_You were right, and she's gay."_

Dib exhaled greatly and signed right back, _"I know." _

The teacher hummed as her eyes narrowed even more. How DARE they communicate about something of which she could not figure out! That should be material enough to send them BOTH to the office!The class now began whispering in-between their giggles about why they were doing it, and the benefits there were to Dib losing his voice.

That was, until, Keef sprung up from his desk to say really loudly, "Teacher, I need to go to the bathroom!"To that, Zim twitched, the class stopped yapping, and the teacher sighed, dismissed him, and continued onto the lesson.

Zim sat back down and signed and apology to the human, whether for making him come back to this hell or for starting a scene he couldn't be sure.

Dib sighed and scooted back up normal in his chair and banged his head repetitively up against the desk. Why oh why oh why oh why him? At least it was all through and over, though, now the whole school will know that Dib was mute by lunchtime, or at least, will think he's faking.

Zim saw the boy's dismay and reached a hand over to pat Dib's shoulder and give it a reassuring squeeze.

Luckily for the two, Dib felt, the teacher was writing on the board and not staring at them, or they'd probably go to the principal's office for PDA with Dib's luck. But, instead, the boy decided he'd dissolve himself for a bit with the other's touch. It made him feel light and excited, so it made up for everything.

Zim smiled as the boy relaxed and he let himself relax. He couldn't wait until this class was over though, then they could go to lunch and really relax.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib/Keef/Teacher: TSI

Bullies: A little of both.


	13. Chapter 13

I didn't know who to feel more sorry for in this chapter, Zim or Dib.

Sorry for the late update. I mean, it's still on Friday, but usually it's before this. Both TSI and myself are sick like you wouldn't belive, so neither of us feel like doing very much.

REVIEW! It'll make us feel better.

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The rest of that class went pretty okay for the two, even with Keef's persistent demand for attention. The two managed a way to avoid Keef but at the same time make their way to the cafeteria table. Food included!

Dib was currently eating a bologna sandwich, smiling up at Zim the whole time. Sitting next to the other made him so happy now for some reason. Nothing in the world could take that away from Dib; not now anyway. Even if bullies did threaten to beat him up, with Zim by his side, he felt on top of the world!

Zim didn't actually eat his lunch, but he did poke at it some before disregarding it completely in favor of talking to Dib, something he really liked doing, a hell of a lot more than talking with Keef as that boy never listened.

That's when a very interrupting finger tapped on Zim's shoulder from behind.Dib glanced over. It was a small group of very popular girls with hair all up and sparkly and lipstick that only barely distracted their onlookers from how revealing their clothes were."Hey, Zimmy?" One of them cattishly called out to the green student. Her friends gathered together and giggled at the sight they were seeing.

Zim grumbled and turned to look at the girls, the lead being a blonde he recalled to be named Jennifer. Not that he cared really, they would all be called dust soon anyway, but at the time he felt that he should at least know the leader's name. "Can I help you?" He asked in a very 'not like I will' way.

"Um, yes, you see..." Jennifer fidgeted as her cheeks turned a slight show of pink. Her friends supported her the whole way, however, so she continued. "Um, we need to talk to you. Like now." She then gave a glance at Dib. "Alone."Dib drew in a shocked breath, but knew his place on the ladder of school, and without much more hesitation , stood up with his food and went on the far-far end of the very-very empty table.

Zim was about to protest and yank Dib back to him when the red-head of the group, Amanda, sat in Dib's spot to block him from the unpopular boy.

Stacy made sure to sit on Zim's other side, and Jennifer, not at all scared of the social status Zim was in now that he was friends with The Dib, still proclaimed him baddass, and in show, wrapped her arms around his chest from behind."So, I heard you kissed Bones." Her words were slick-- poisonous even, and her blue eyes sly, all to purse her lips out next to Zim's cheek. In the process of this, Dib stared up from his food, watching intensely with wide eyes, curious of what was going on.

Zim gave Jennifer a scowl, not at all fond of the attention he was receiving and of being separated from Dib, as he asked, "Who?"

"You know, _Bones._" Jennifer's hands slipped further down his chest, examining every bit of strong muscle on his chest.With a tug of one of Zim's arms wrapped in her own, Stacy continued on. "The leader of the Rat-Pack. The whole school is talking about how this morning you made a move on him and flat out kissed him!"

Zim looked even more confused before rolling his eyes and flat out saying, "I don't know anyone named Bones and I didn't kiss a single person today."

"Not yet anyway." Stacy smirked."You SO have a thing for The Dibbles!""I think it's kind of cute that... somebody of Zimmy's status," Jennifer's voice practically purred, "Could like anybody he likes... no matter gender or popularity. It's hot." She bit her bottom lip and grinned over to Zim.

Zim's antennae twitched and he took his arm back from the one known as Stacy and gently tried to remove Jennifer's arms from around him. Those chemicals, coming off of all three of these teenaged girls and having them all over him like that with all of that raging going on inside their bodies felt just as bad as rolling around in a public bath room, like those chemicals were going to get all over him."I do not know about this 'thing' you are talking about nor do I care to." He grumbled. "Now will you please leave me to eat with a friend in peace?"

"Come on, Girls. He'd rather be gay than bi anyway. What a pity." Jennifer stated bluntly as she patted him on the back and began walking away, feeling very disappointed.Stacy, however, whined. "But he's so cute! It's just not FAIR to leave him with somebody like The Crazy Kid... I want Zimmy to be with us!"Amanda pouted as well. "He's too fucking hot! GAWD. And Dib- Dib is just-" She nearly pulled her hair out in frustration but abruptly stood to follow Jennifer as well, leaving Stacy alone to whine, torn between her friends and Zim.

Zim shuddered at the dirty feeling the girls left him with and scooted away from Stacy some, giving her a shooing motion, wanting her to leave as well.

She hmphed and finally left the teen as well.Dib, meanwhile, kept his eyes on the scene the whole time, eating his food, and not bothering to move back to Zim. He felt kind of like crap now, after watching the whole scene of clingy girls.

Zim waited for a while for Dib to take his seat next to the alien once more but when he didn't Zim looked over at the human questioningly.

Dib finished up his sandwich before sipping on his grape juice and sliding back to Zim, heart still heavy from watching the scene. Jennifer practically KISSED him, but she didn't. It felt awkward to Dib.

Zim's antennae flickered, feeling Dib's mood. Did all of that really bother Dib so much? "What's wrong?" Zim asked and signed, reminding Dib through the signing that they were really the only ones who could understand each other.

Dib smiled and shook his head, although his heart still did feel pretty heavy. Zim was popular- and they were hanging all over him! Here he was, dragging Zim down in life. Without Dib there, Zim could be even more popular- but for now life would be hell just because they were friends.So he continued shaking his head and smiling.

"Diiiib," Zim whined, antennae going back, showing how displeased he was by this. "Don't feel bad, ok? I don't want you to feel bad, and I can tell that you do."

Dib's smile dropped and he looked back at the other with some concern. Feeling a bit nervous about this, he pointed to Zim and then stuck a finger up against his palm, saying _"You're popular."_

Zim tilted his head, looking at Dib confusedly. "No I'm not," He said, giving a slow shake as if he really wasn't sure.

Dib gave him a doubtful stare, propping up a brow and answered back with his hands. _"Yes you are."_

Zim shook his head and gave a small laugh. "There is no way. I'm green."

Dib frowned a bit but just went on sucking his drink. Zim was wrong, he just didn't know it.

Zim picked a bit at the plastic peeling off the table, there was no way he could be popular, but those girls were hanging all over him and they were popular soooooo...?"How could I be popular?"

Dib blinked and look back at Zim. Shrugged dully and thought a bit. He pointed to Zim and then pretend to make teeth with his fingers to give Zim a silent message. _"You're __amazing."_

Zim gave Dib a curious look that became a little smug. "Amazing, huh?" He asked. "What is so amazing about me?"

Dib pouted harder, a scowl dipping onto his forehead. Dib leveled his hands together, before one of his hands rose up to an invisible step above the other. He then tapped his two index fingers in a right angle before crossing his arms at the invader, vastly unamused by the question.

"Too m- Zim cannot be that great." The alien said, waving a dismissive hand. He couldn't be amazing, everyone said otherwise so Dib's word alone could not hold up to much.

Dib deadpanned, staring at Zim with a look of slight disbelief. He shook his head and did the words again before just randomly flapping his hands through the air, hoping that Zim's big ego would catch onto what he was saying.

Zim seemed to pout a little, not liking being argued with by a mute person before giving a small laugh. "Alright, alright, I will give you that Zim is pretty awesome... but not _amazing_."

Frustrated by his limited amount of speech, Dib swung his backpack around and pulled his notebook out. He jotted down quickly how he didn't know the word for awesome, so amazing was as close as he could get, along with the fact he didn't know that many words to explain Zim's amazingness with.

Zim laughed a little more before shaking his head. "I doubt that my popularity would come from your interpretation of 'awesome' anyway considering the shallow way everyone around seems to think. So don't be too bothered with it." He said, giving Dib a friendly smile.

Dib watched him, his anger falling before his pen went back to the paper. _'But you're fun to be around and you're unique, tough, and... ...well, yeah, amazing. It's not just shallow.'_

"If you say so." Zim said with a shrug. "It's not like I care one way or another, you're the only person I like to hang out with anyway so whether I'm popular or not really doesn't matter does it?"

_'Yeah.'_ Dib smiled and folded the notebook back up, once more putting it in his backpack, figuring not much more would be needed to be written down. Zim was right, after all. It was nice to think that way. It was nice to think that Zim cared about him more than anybody else. It really was.

Zim smiled and wrapped an arm around Dib's shoulders in a quick, purely friendly hug, though earning him a few snickers from the table next to them.

It felt uncomfortable, that hug with those snickers. But Dib just shrugged it off the best he could. The attention and closeness Zim gave him still felt nice.Despite best judgment, the younger teen scooted even closer to Zim, and rested his head up against his arm. That was comfort.

The alien paid none of the students around them any mind, just letting Dib lean against him as he went back to try and looks like he was eating.

(break)

Dib waited patiently at home. But it was boring. He toppled over to his side on the couch. The TV was off. Even if it was on, it would still be equally as boring. Gaz had found herself sitting right next to where the boy lay but she paid him no mind as she drowned herself in her video games.

The minutes ticked by like hours with only the sound of Gaz's video game as noise until their came a knock at the door, kinda slow, but firm.

Dib's eyes snapped open, and the boy hopped out of the couch and ran to the door, opening it, and without thinking, mouthed the words 'You're late' to the green person standing right in front of him. But something caught the human off guard, and took a step back to let him in.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry." Zim sighed, shoulders slumping under the weight of his book bag and something less tangible but much more heavy.

Dib looked at the other in confusion and rubbed his fist up against his heart in a show he was sorry, what for, though, he didn't know.

"For what?" Zim asked, antennae perking up from their limp looking state in confusion as he tilted his head a little. "You didn't do anything. I just... got into a little trouble at the hospital."

_"Why?"_ Dib signed, his confusion and concern never parting from him as he watched the other intensively come in.Gaz glanced over from her game, watching like a hawk her brother and the green teen. She scowled darkly.

"That old guy I was taking care of died on me while I was going to get his dinner." Zim said with a small scowl of his own. "Apparently he'd been complaining to one of the other nurses about a pain in his chest, but he never said anything to me."

Dib's shoulder drooped and he apologies again, while Gaz voiced her opinion rather bluntly. "Maybe that's because you suck so hard nobody would wanna talk to you about anything _anyway, _but a mute kid who can't talk at all."Dib shot back a dangerous glare.

"Maybe," Zim said with a glare of his own before grabbing Dib's arm and gently tugging him to the stairs to go up to his room to talk in private.

Dib shut the door behind him, and once again rubbed his fist over his heart. He sighed and sat on his bed next to Zim, where his legs went criss cross and his hands rested themselves on his ankles.

"Did you talk a lot before the tumor?" Zim asked, turning his head to look at Dib next to him.

Dib waited a moment, thinking back to when he had a voice like he so often did mute. Back in the day when he'd ramble on to anyone about aliens and ghosts, whether they cared to listen or not. Usually not. No, the only time they cared to listen was when they'd ask him about it for the sheer point of making fun of him. "Hey, Dibbles!" They'd say. "I caught a mutant ghost in the bathroom!" Dib would respond with a long reason as to why there wouldn't be a ghost at school in the restroom and only such occurrence was left for books only.It wasn't like he meant to just talk so much about things nobody else cared about. He wanted friends, he wanted something to feed his status on the social ladder. He needed something, someone. His talking just happened because he never could stop. Now, he could never start.With little more thought, Dib slowly nodded to Zim.

"I couldn't imagine not having a voice." Zim said, turning his head to look back up at the ceiling as he thought of how often the Tallest or some other taller irken would tell him to shut up and do as he's told. "Not that I have much of one to begin with but what I do have I enjoy."

Dib blinked over at Zim before turning his head to face him. He gave a confused look before shaking his head and signing back to Zim. _"I like it."_

Zim caught the signs out of the corner of his eye and he gave Dib a small smile as reward for the comment. "I can tell, because you seem to listen intently."

Dib stared back at Zim's eyes. There was something intense yet subtle about those eyes like they were peering straight back to his soul. After a few seconds of staring, seconds that Dib was SURE looked way too long for a normal person to stare at another, Dib quickly turned his face away.

"Hey Dib?" Zim asked, turning onto his side so he was face to face the human. "Are you, what the other's said, gay?"

Dib's eyes widened and instantly locked onto Zim's. He felt his heart pounding at immense speeds and through all of the blood rushing to his face, he was almost too dizzy to respond to the fight or flight instincts. Why would _Zim_ ask that?!Instantly he shook his head, his hair brushing from side to side quickly. There was no way to calm his heart down! Zim was suspecting things! Sure, bullies could call him gay and he wouldn't flinch but- now even ZIM was thinking it!

Zim's antennae twitched. That really was a touchy subject to humans then? "Would it really be that bad though? I mean, come on, it's not like it changes a person's species to be gay. I just don't get why a person's sexuality would be thrown around as an insult like it is."

Dib stared at Zim for a bit, still very flustered. He gripped his heart to try to calm it down. He licked his middle finger and slicked it over his hair before signing the rest of his sentence. _"Gay is bad."_

"Why?" Zim asked and signed both, giving Dib a curious look.

Dib shifted. He was becoming very uncomfortable very quickly. After fidgeting a little more, he shrugged.

Zim blinked, seeming confused. How could Dib not know why being gay was such a bad thing? Was it just instinctual behavior to hate gay or was the government against it or something? No that couldn't be it, Dib seemed to not care what other people thought, he wouldn't be one to hate gay because the President Man told him to. Right?"I didn't offend you by asking did I?" Zim asked, giving Dib's stomach a small poke. "I was only seeing if there was any truth to what the bullies at school said."

Dib once again fidgeted before taking hold of Zim's claw. He looked Zim straight in the eye again, only this time much more seriously despite the red on his face. He was feeling too nervous, and somewhere deep inside of him, this made him want to say something to Zim, but what, he did not know.

Zim tilted his head to the side a bit, looking at his hand in the Dib's, mapping out the differences as he stared.

Dib opened his mouth slightly to say something but soon shut it. What would he say to Zim even if he could talk?Noticing the odd thing he was doing, his grip lessened until he was no longer holding onto Zim's claw, He looked down at the bed and shook his head.

Zim gave Dib another odd look before finally deciding to ask Dib, "What's the matter? Is it something Zim said?"

The human shook his head again. The sheets under his nails got scratched as his fingers ran up and down to distract himself.

Zim leaned up a little and leaned over the human, putting one hand on the other side of Dib to balance as he looked down at the human. "Then what is it?"

Dib's head turned up and his eyes sprung open again. Dib plastered himself against the bed to get as far away from Zim as possible, only failing miserably and having to try to push down his flustered face instead. He brought both his hands up and instantly began repeating the sign for "nothing" in his panic.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Zim pointed out, leaning down a ways to examine Dib's face.

Dib gasped and swallowed a lump in his throat hard. His heart was pounding out of his chest again and this time his hand pressed down on it couldn't stop it from its harsh rapid beats.

"Dib are you ok?" Zim asked, his antennae flickering a little as he moved one of his hands to feel Dib's forehead for a fever.

Oh! His touch was so cold...! Dib let his eyes shut as he examined how it felt. His body twisted and turned even still before he opened them again to see such caring intense eyes. Oh, Earth, what was Zim doing?

Zim pulled back a little to look at Dib. He was really warm. "Do you need medi-" He paused and his antennae twitched. There was that feeling again, those chemicals. "...cine?"

Dib returned to panting lightly again. Why was he getting so much attention? Maybe he was sick. Yeah, that sounded right. That's why he kept feeling like this! He was sick, so very sick, and needed Zim's help.

Zim pulled back more as if that would help him see more of Dib, which it did, but not in the way he wanted. It didn't help him learn anything new, so instead he stood up and said, "I'll go get that medicine."

Dib sighed, Zim farther away now, and nodded. This would be good. This would be very good. Maybe then the room would stop spinning long enough for him to figure out what was going on.

Zim jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen, ignoring the grumbling girl on the couch in favor of getting Dib some medicine. It took him about ten minutes to find some cold medicine and a spoon to take it with, and during that time he thought. Those chemicals rushing around Dib's body, it was the same as the waves of them he had felt from the couple in the bathroom. Did that mean... no, it couldn't.

When Zim came back, Dib's blushing had gone down a great deal and he no longer felt so disheveled and sick, so when he saw Zim with the spoon and cold medicine, he gave a nervous smile, shook his hand in the air to wave it off, and shook his head.

"Nuh-uh, you're taking the medicine Dib." Zim said, giving Dib a rather unimpressed look and moving to sit down next to Dib. He sat down the spoon so he could unscrew the top.

Ah yes. That was when Zim just had to sit next to him again, and for whatever reason, Dib felt sick again, face glowing red again. He was near him. So very near him. Maybe it was Zim? Some sort of thing about the alien that made humans somehow feel weird when they were near? But that didn't seem right. Dib had hugged him plenty of times and it never felt weird like this.

When Zim had finally wrestled the child safe cap off he poured some of it into the spoon and held it out for Dib. "Take all of this." Zim said, giving Dib a stern look.

Dib kept his eyes on it for a while before sitting up and leaning over to fit the spoon into his mouth and swallow down the disgusting red liquid.

Zim gave Dib a smile as he stood back up. "Good, want me to get you something to drink while I'm in the kitchen putting this stuff away?"

Dib nodded, graciously for the drink. He sighed and fell back on his bed.

Zim smiled and made his way back down the stairs and grabbed a drink for Dib as he put the medicine back. Making his way upstairs Zim decided he needed to really find out if what was up with Dib was what he thought."How are you feeling, is it working yet?" He asked as he sat back down next to Dib and held out the drink.

Dib popped open the poop cola and sipped on it, a bit too soon as he found himself nodding at the same time, making him slurp from the can.

"Good," Zim said with a happy smile as he put a hand on Dib's back and gave it a small rub.

Dib tensed a bit; a reaction he himself didn't expect as Zim's touches usually calmed him down. He nodded again, and took another sip from his drink, passing it innocently off as nothing.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Zim said, giving Dib the sweetest smile he could and slowly moved his arm around Dib's side.

Dib peered up at Zim and nodded. His body tingled at Zim's claws. There was something wrong here, something wrong! But what?

Zim gently tapped his claws over Dib's side as if bored as he looked around Dib's room with a smile on his face. His antennae twitched and flickered, gauging Dib's reactions.

Dib wiggled a little. This allowed him to feel Zim's claws and arm better against his back, as well as give him a strange excuse to come closer to Zim's body warmth. It was nice, however, the boy vaguely realized that this was the only thing on his mind currently. This didn't bother him that much, when his mind quickly slipped back to 'Oh my goodness, we're so near and he's touching me!' mode.

Zim smiled and let his head rest on top of Dib's head, bringing them even closer.

Dib closed his eyes and leaned back up against Zim's chest. Oh, some things felt so right and just that even the tingling feeling was substituted for a more warm overbearing feeling. It was nice.

Zim hummed in thought as he looked down at Dib, as much as he could in their position anyway. There was the odd chemicals, but something else there as well and it made his antennae tingle slightly with the feeling. But it was a nice tingle so he stayed there like that, letting his claws tap against the human's back and side and almost cuddled against Dib.

So relaxing this was for the two of them... After debating with himself over doing this or not, Dib found his hand on the bed beside him, to place itself on Zim's free claws. Oh, how he wish they could stay like this together with Zim holding onto him.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI


	14. Chapter 14

This chapter was fun. So fun fun fun fun fun! Sorry for the not so earlish up date once again. Still sick. But good news! We're getting better!

Review please. It's medicinle.

* * *

It was becoming an increasingly long walk to the school. Every step the tiny mute human took just seemed not long enough as it only carried him a small length. Dib concentrated on the noise of his breathing, then to the fluffiness of the grey clouds. It might rain today, and thus he should probably warn Zim. In, and out, in, and out his breathing went until the human heard laughing from around the corner.

Dib froze, and gripped onto his backpack's straps tighter. If it was the wrong type of kids laughing, he could be in trouble. His glasses were still broken! He couldn't afford getting beaten up two days in a row! What if this time they chose to do something really bad with him like hanging him up on the flag pole or stuffing him a sack filled with angry cats? They could beat the sack and get them to attack him! Especially if they were stray. The human didn't want to be attacked by stray cats.

Dib slowly tip-toed to the corner of the street and peeked behind the fence. There they were, as predicted! Some bullies. If he recall correctly, they were the bullies from yesterday. Oh, there were so many bullies to keep up, and their reasons for bullying Dib. Dib liked it more when they were just interested in money, unfortunately, he knew these kids did it for the kicks, most literally.

He listened into their conversation carefully as he began climbing the fence and dropping in the bush behind it. He'll have to try to sneak past them as quietly as he could if he ever hoped to avoid getting beaten.

One boy snickered quietly and whispered something into another boy's ear. Oh he'd seen Dib's pathetic attempt to try and avoid them, but all it took was one seeing. The whispers spread, conversation dying down until the whispering got to the leader.

Dib watched their feet carefully; it was the only part of them he could see, but got extremely nervous when he notice them split up, and he couldn't see any of the feet. Dib knew what was happening. This meant he was in trouble, that they were surrounding him. He could take one of two courses of action, he could either stay there and hope they weren't actually surrounding him, or he could make a run for it. The latter being he wouldn't wait for them to go get him but his small chance of surviving.

A twig snapped, and Dib instantly pulled himself to the fence in between the bush and it. He began climbing as fast as he could, but not fast enough as a shirt found its way around the small human's face, blinding him and suffocating him in the smell of sweat. He was all ready beginning to be tied up, but this time, now knowing that Dib had returned, the gang came prepared.

There were several laughs all around and casual conversation, like co-workers have at lunch as beating on Dib had already settled back into the bullies' daily routine. Dib's hands were tied behind his back and his arms to his side while his ankles were tied together as well and his shoes stolen.

Dib wiggled, hoping to loosen the binds that held him only to earn a quick laugh from one of the bullies."Why don't you scream for help, little Dibby? Oh, that's right. I heard you can't talk! Must have something to do with your throat, huh?"Dib felt a hot, sweaty hand reach itself to the tender lump at Dib's throat, and he could feel his whole body shake.

Though he couldn't see it the human hears the sharp crack of someone's jaw breaking and the astonished cries of, "What the fuck!?" and, "Oh my god! He's bleeding!"

Twitch. "Take him to the school and then to the nurse. If it's serious then-" Something triggered itself in one of the bully's minds. "Hey it's you! What are you the fag's knight in shining armor!?" The voice sounded slightly amused, though Dib had no clue what on earth was going on or who he was talking to.

"What is it with adolescent boys and their obsession with 'fags'?" Came the voice of a familiar alien nurse. "Is it that you're so self conscious about your own masculinity that you have to pick on others' or are you just so confused about your sexuality you have to label and degrade others' to make yourself feel powerful and straight?"

"Why you little-" Dib heard a punch connect. A few more. Grunting, whining, breathing, and Dib could hear even more voices call in. "Tie him up with the Dibbles! We'll toss those two love birds in the sewer together!"

Dib hesitated, breathing in. Oh, he couldn't see anything! Zim had to be okay, right?! He shook his head, desperate to get the tied shirt out from in front of his face, but it was useless! He was stuck and blind now as well as mute. He couldn't see anything and knew not of what was going on.

A few more yells, from Zim and the gang. What could be happening?

A pair of hands tugged at the sweaty shirt over Dib's face and pulled it off. The face that was looking down at him smiled and green lips and hands asked, "Are you ok?"

Oh, Zim looked like a hero right there. He look like what every hero should look. He was green, his hair was drifting just softly in the wind and against his cheek. His smile stretched long on his face, and his eyes seemed to glimmer with hope for Dib. It all looked so soft looking, so perfect! Here was his hero.

That was, until of course tiny hands snuck up from behind Zim and put him in a head lock with their arms, choking him as Zim got surrounded by the other bullies, soon fixing him up like Dib as well.

Zim coughed and took extra effort to breathe when he was finally dropped to the ground, letting the blood come back to his head before he made any attempt to move or struggle. Laughter was shared all around. "Isn't that cute?" One commented. "Birds of a feather..." Another said, though by the way his voice faltered it was doubtful he even knew what that meant.

Dib wormed his way to Zim, leaning over him and servailing him. Oh, how sorry he was forever bringing Zim into this mess!"It's time to take you two on a little trip." One grinned, hoisting Dib up and away from Zim.

"Yeah," Another agreed, also yanking Zim up and tying the two together back-to-back. "A school field trip to the sewers!""Wouldn't it be awful if the two of you couldn't swim because you were tied together?" They all laughed full heartedly as the two, human and irken, began being pulled away.

Zim struggled as carefully as possible, not wanting to hurt Dib, but wanting to get away all the same. The sewers... Sewers meant water and water meant pain, so much pain!

"Maybe we should fish them out after school, see if they've learned not to be so gay." Everyone got a good laugh from that one. There was no way two fags like this could ever stop being gay.

Together they walked, shoved and lead by an incomplete group of bullies (incomplete, thanks to the broken jaw of somebody who had to go home) down to the sewer lines. They got pushed in and walked down the increaseingly dark large pipe. There was a squeak here and there from the occasional rat, but over all seemed pretty lifeless aside from the group. Disgusting water splashed underneath their feet, burning through the boots of Zim.

"We're here!" A smaller male called out in front of everyone, making them all stop.

Dib had been here before. Despite his inability to see, he knew exactly where they were. The pool. Here is where roaches gather into murky, filthy stench water they'll be pushed in. Dib gagged already, hurting his throat in the process, forcing him to flinch in the process.

Zim was shaking, though he tried very hard to conceal it. How could this have happened? He let his guard down for a second and he was bound by a ground of Earth smeets! SMEETS! Hardly old enough to be walking around on their own in irken culture!

"Aw, what's the matter?" Asked one of the bullies that had been doing the dragging, feeling Zim's trembling. "Can't swim?"

A roar sounded throughout the whole pipe. "Ah, it finally decided to rain on us." One of the bullies spoke passively to himself.

How horrible! Zim was scared of storms! Dib struggled harder, trying to loosen their binds, but they were totally stuck together. He'd have to try to talk! Maybe if they saw how hard he was trying, they let them go.

So Dib withdrew a breath, and pushed noise out the best he could in his ruined, broken throat. "H'eh- h'ehl..p! Pl'ee-ee-ease st-p!" He cried out, tearing his throat horribly, bringing tears in his eyes in the process. It hurt so much. The bullies had to have mercy for them now."Aw, what? Baby's trying to talk?" The bullies laughed. "Look at him cry! They're both wimps! Push the fags overboard!

"The two got pushed into the water together just as another bit of thunder struck, and the water, the acid covered Zim while the others just walked away laughing.

Zim struggled to get lose, thrashing as his skin already began to blister and sizzle like bacon. He had to really struggle not to try and call out, lest he swallow any of the terrible, dirty acid.

Even worse was the fact that he really couldn't swim, not on his own anyway, he had a pak that could do that for him, but he couldn't risk Dib finding out he was an alien by using anything from his pak!

Their ankles and arms were tied together. Dib couldn't figure out how to get out of this, and they were sinking in the disgusting smelling water. They'd have to work together but he had no way to communicate with Zim to do that with. They were _dying _because of stupid bullies at school!

He tried to remember his studies on aquatic science. They'd have to swim like a dolphin, and quick, before they ran out of breath! Their floating wasn't holding up too well. Instantly, Dib pushed back on his legs, pushing Zim's forward, and then pulling his forward as well, pulling Zim's back and repeating the action. Maybe it would work!

Zim was growing lightheaded from trying to hold his breath and from all the panicking he was doing. He was going to die here! He was going to die because some bullies didn't like gay people and thought he was gay! And worst still was he was going to bring Dib down with him! Too desperate to think, or to care that it was Dib and not the mission he was most concerned about, four mechanical legs once more appeared out of the pod on his back and severed the ropes binding their arms and legs. Small fin like fans sprouted from the ends of them to help propel Zim to the surface and he grabbed onto the edge of shore.

The water splashed, and Dib gasped, grabbing onto the air as Zim left him but he was free. He swam aimlessly until he found Zim's metal legs and held onto them for dear, precious life. They were safe! They were alive! But how? What saved them? Oh, but what did it matter? They were SAFE. Dib panted harshly against the metallic back of Zim, unaware of what exactly he was holding onto in the blindness of the dark.

Zim shakily pulled Dib and himself up, out of the water, metal legs retracting as soon as the human let go. He grunted, trying his hardest not to curse and swear in his native tongue, human English failing him as cold air hit his close to bubbling skin, steam rising off him. And his clothes! They were dripping with the wet stuff!

More thunder rang through the long pipe.Dib lay on the concrete panting, relieved they got out. He hadn't expect to live this far! But he was living, and he was living with Zim, whom, at this moment was hissing, and sounded as though he was in pain. Tired, and weak, Dib reached over to his friend to try to calm him down, only to burn his hand and have to retreat it back. There was something the matter with him! He crawled up by his side and began to panic! He couldn't see anything! How could he even ask Zim what the matter was?! What was he suppose to do?! He was sizzling!

Zim breathed hard as he pulling his shirt and wig off, letting them fall to the concrete before carefully pulling his boots off, glad that human's eyes were not so good in the dark. No telling what Dib's reaction would be if he knew Zim really was an alien, or if he knew just how bad said alien was aching right now.

Once his boots were off he pulled off the only remaining pieces of cloth on his body, hisses turning high pitched as the denim of his jeans slid down the length of his legs. Last out were the contacts, pulled out carefully so as not to burn his eyes.

Dib looked around in the dark hopelessly. He had to get help! He felt back on Zim, hesitating when he felt a bare hot chest. He paused, then found Zim's shoulder and ran his hands down to his claws. He began signing in Zim's hand, unaware that Zim could see perfectly what he was saying in the dark without his needing to feel it. _"I'll go get help!" _And Dib stood, ready to dart off.

"NO!" Zim said quickly, grabbing the tail of Dib's trench coat but quickly pulling his hand back with a loud hiss at how wet it was. Oh this was not going to be fun.

Dib stopped and turned back, going to his hands and knees before signing into the claws of the naked Irken once more. _"Why?"_

Zim bit his lip, which he quickly realized hurt like the rest of him! "C-can't..." He shook his head, what was he supposed to say!? 'I'm an alien! They'll dissect me!' He shook his head again, his whole form trembling at how his skin burned and yet he was so cold.

He wasn't making any sense! Oh, but Dib had to trust Zim. Zim knew what was best for Zim after all. He only wished he could help. Zim sounded as if he was seriously dying or something! He reached his arms out and took hold of Zim in an embrace, hugging the alien with his still wet clothes, and resting his head against his shoulder. Surely a hug could make things better. It always did before, even when it got awkward. Zim was naked now and it wasn't even awkward. That must meant something, right?

Zim stop breathing to choke back a yelp, or maybe a scream, his mind was too clouded to even tell what his own body was doing. He put his hands on Dib's chest, trying to push the mute human away, the water, it burned so bad! There must be a way of telling Dib this without revealing himself!

"W-water... h-hurts..." He found himself saying before he realized it.

Dib stiffened. So that's what that was. Dib should have seen this before, he should have known. Zim wasn't afraid of the storm, he was afraid of the water. Here, he and his best friend got pushed into a whole pool of the stuff- nasty water at that- and Dib did nothing! How could he help now? There was nothing he could do. He leaned back on his hands and stared low at the dark. He let his only friend down. Now, he could die here and it would be all Dib's fault.

Zim looked around fearfully, listening to the heavy pouring of the storm outside. How could this situation get any worse!? He was trapped in this damp hole of smell with water on both sides and no way out! He needed his burn cream! There would be so much scarring later... not even the cosmetic laser specialists on Irk would be able to get rid of them! His muscles twitched as the tenseness in them lessened, his pak supplying him with much needed pain killers while trying to heal his skin on his own, but it would do no good. He would be blistering until he got that cream and took a nice, relaxing bath.

Dib sat there. It was quiet aside from the sound of the two breathing, rats squeaking, and the rain from outside echoing in. Ugh! And he had left his backpack, too! That wasn't the problem though. The problem was that here Zim was, hurting, and he wouldn't let Dib get him any help. All because he was a stupid a- ... That's right. Zim didn't want Dib to get help because he was an alien. But what else could he do? It was raining outside, and they were surrounded by water. Zim was going to parish here because he didn't want to be found out.

Dib took off his trench coat and ringed it of the sewer liquid. It made a squishy noise when he dropped it into he pipe, and he soon flapped his hands off, making it as dry as he could. He felt around for Zim's hand again and began signing into it. _"Let me help. Please."_

Zim shook his head. This was terrible. He needed help, he NEEDED it, but he couldn't risk his mission or his friendship with Dib by letting the human know he was an alien or by letting him go get someone else who could possibly do more harm.

Dib lifted his human hand to cup Zim's cheek. He stared blankly into the dark a bit, stopping Zim's silent protest before dropping his hand once more to Zim's to speak. _"Please."_ He urged once more.

Zim paused, staring wide eyed at Dib. "N-no, I'll be fine, r-really."

This time it was Dib's turn to shake his head hurriedly. He tried again. _"I'm going to help you if you want it or not. You're hurt." _

Zim shook, this was terrible! "You can't!" He said, gripping Dib's arm to make sure he didn't go anywhere.

Why was Zim being this way?! Didn't he know that this hurt him to have Zim hurt as well? Didn't he understand anything?! Dib struggled against his grip, having to work against Zim's strength for a change. Dib slammed his eyes shut, and took hold of the Irken's claws once more. _"I know you!" _Was the best he could sign out at the time.

"What do you know!?" Zim almost yelled. Why was Dib doing this to him? He was hurt and the last thing he needed was a media circus because Dib had to be all helpful and concerned!

_"Alien."_ Dib signed, squinting his eyes, and feeling a little fearful of the one he cared for, the one who yelled at him.

Zim shook his head. "I'm not an alien, I have a sk-skin condition."

Dib dropped Zim's claws. Maybe he was right. Maybe this whole time, Zim was just an average kid with a skin condition, and since he liked aliens so much, and he had been longing for a friend for so long, he just believed what he wanted to believe? No, that didn't seem right. No! Zim- Zim was so infuriating! Why couldn't he just trust him?Dib grabbed hold of Zim's shoulders and began shaking him violently and angrily. Why couldn't he just be himself around him like Dib wanted him to be?

"Di-Dib," Zim said, putting his hands on Dib's. his skin hurt all over, where Dib touched where he touched Dib, it all hurt! "St-stop, there's nothing you can do for me!"

The human grew frustrated, and with that went all of the vocabulary he had learned for his hands. His mind was too clouded and all he wanted to do was scream and yell in Zim's face for being so prideful and not trusting him. If Dib could trust him and let Zim heal him, surely Zim could trust Dib and let Dib heal him back. But alas, he was too frustrated to think, all he could do was continue to shake Zim's shoulders in despair as he silently began to cry.

Zim shook his head and put his hands on Dib's shoulders to try and push him back, he needed space, space to breathe and space to work. A screen popped out of that miraculous pod on his back and it instantly lit up in front of Zim, showing his more than alien features.

Dib crawled back instantly on his hands, staring wide eyed at the scene in front of him. Lit up in blue just in front of him was indeed his green friend but... without his lovable hair, crystal eyes, or teenager clothes that allowed him to fit in so well at school. No; he looked exactly like, and at the same time, nothing like Dib had expected such an alien to look like. It was breath taking, and indeed, Dib had to hold his breath.Zim was admitting it to him!

Though, it probably seemed bad that Dib had drawn back so much, from what looked like fear but was pure astonishment. And that thing... on his back- it was attached and had mechanics in it. That must be how they had gotten out.Dib slowly crawled back to his friend, staring in wonder all up and down his friend. How amazing...

"It's rude to stare." Zim said, blushing at his own nakedness before the SIR appeared on the screen, saluting his master."Yes, My Master?" He asked."SIR, get me the burn cream... and a fresh ch- two fresh changes of clothes... and some towels... and some food." Zim said, wrapping his arms around himself."Yes, sir!" The robot cried before cutting the transmission.

The only light source disappeared, leaving the two into the dark once more. Dib didn't have any more chances to examine Zim's wounds but suddenly those didn't seem to matter as much anymore as Dib was overcome in excitement and _proof._ He smiled forward and sat more properly. Zim even had his own _robot! _That must be so cool. He wouldn't have to do chores or anything, and he had his own automatic metal friend that was with you whenever you were at home, like a pet!

But Zim didn't seem as excited about Dib knowing as Dib was, and come to think about it, before he saw, he wasn't every excited either, though he knew who his best friend was. What was WRONG with Dib? Oh, the boy felt just so suddenly filthy, and not the sewer kind of filthy, either.

Zim shivered. "Oh Irk this is bad." The alien said, antennae limp. "This is so bad, bad, bad." He continued to mumble about how bad things were, eventually fading into a different, _alien _language.

Dib listened attentively to the words Zim used. They were beautiful however strange to Dib they were. Something dawned on the boy, and he picked Zim's claws back up to speak his hand language into his claws. _"Will you kill me?"_ The human felt rather calm with the question, according to Zim's antennae, but nevertheless it was strange.

Zim's head snapped back to Dib's face, red eyes wide with shock. "N-n-no, why would I kill you?"

_"You showed me. That is bad." _Dib signed, now staring back at the end of the tunnel as if willing for the rain to stop, although it ignored Dib and continued anyway.

"No... there are ways... to wipe your memory." Zim said, shaking his head. "But... we're friends... I don't have to do that... right?" Zim looked at Dib pleadingly though he knew the human couldn't see. "You- you won't tell anyone right? No one can know."

After having his heart jump in his chest, Dib smiled and signed back to Zim's claws: _"Who would I tell? Secret."_

Zim gave Dib's a small smile before laughing slightly, saying, "I can see in the dark."

Dib withdrew his hand and breath quickly, face going red equally as fast. Well, why couldn't Zim see in the dark? He should have thought about that, but presently, he had to grip his heart to slow it down from the shock. With a nervous caught-off-guard smile, Dib went back to signing in the air. _"Neat."_

"Yeah it is." Zim said with a small laugh. Suddenly there came the sound of metal on concrete and the occasional spark flying and in came Zim's SIR unit.

Dib mouthed the word 'robot' and his face lit up. Who needs science fiction when you had Dib's life? He sat eagerly, waiting for the mechanical mechanism of high-tech superior alien species.

Zim motioned the SIR unit over, the glow from it's eyes illuminating the cave like sewer. "Your burn cream, master." The robot said, pulling the tube from his head and handing it to Zim. Zim took the tube and immediately began to rub the cream over his skin.

Dib idly watch him rub the cream on until he realized what he was doing, and his attention went straight back to the SIR. He reached out and touched it. Sure enough, it was metal of some sort, but Dib had to withdraw his hand when a spark struck out and hit him.

Zim spent thirty minutes rubbing the healing cream over his skin until he was satisfied before reaching into the robots head and pulling out a towel to wrap around himself and one to throw over Dib's head. "Here," He said, snuggling into his own fluffy towel. "Dry yourself off."

Dib scrubbed the towel over his wet hair for a bit until he took another peak at Zim in the light blue light, stopping him in action. He looked so peaceful and serene, so peculiar and amazing. He was sure of it now; even if Zim couldn't _really _save him today, but instead, got himself in danger for him... he was perfect to Dib.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI

Bullies: Both


	15. Chapter 15

This chapter was SO CLOSE to being late! But it wasn't, so no complaining. TSI and myself are both doing much better health wise, though being sick, like traveling to diffrent states, can take it's toll on your inner clock.

In other words, we forgot.

Sorry!

REVIEW!!

* * *

After warming up a little Zim felt comfortable enough to get himself dressed, pulling on a pair of clothes that were in the SIR units head.When that was done he laid out the towel for himself to sit on to avoid anymore burns before saying, "There's some clothes in there you can change into, Dib."

Dib downcast his eyes in thought and nodded. He wrapped the towel around his shoulders and just watched some of the nasty sewer water, unbuging.

Zim waited a moment before shaking his head and saying, "Do what you want but I'm not hugging you until you're wearing dry clothes."

Dib frowned in his own displeasure before reaching into the mechanical head of the broken SIR unit for some of Zim's clothes. He tossed off the towel before tugging at his shirt, making a point to face away from Zim as he got undressed. He never got to his pants, though. He just dried off his torso and arms with the towel before putting on the fresh shirt and just sitting there. Dib peered back at Zim, much like a smeet getting yelled at.

Zim gave Dib a look. That would NOT be enough. His pants were still wet with that horrible acid! "Fine," He said. "You can hug me but your legs have to stay over there."

Dib looked from his spot waaaay over here, to Zim's spot waaaay over there. His smeetish look thickened and he jerked his face in front of him again. With much embarrassment, the human undid his pants and took them off as quick as he could before tossing the towel over himself and drying his legs off. In the same hurry, Zim's pants came on the young teen.He turned his body to face Zim now and pouted.

Zim smiled at Dib now, antennae poking up from his bald head happily. "Ok, you can have a hug." He opened his arms up, making grabby hands for Dib. He was cold, now that his skin wasn't throbbing with burning pain.

Dib grinned, standing. It looked like Zim's clothes had swallowed him up. He plopped down next to Zim and wrapped his arms around him, sighing into his chest warmly.

Zim hugged Dib back, soaking in the warmth the human had to offer and in turn giving what little of his own he had.

Dib's eyes were stuck on the robot producing the small bit of light though his mind was anywhere but that. Instead Dib tried to keep focus on the pressing issue; the bullies- but every time he tried to think about that, his mind would instead stray to the alien he was holding. Since he was being so _open _now and everything..._"Tell me about what it's like."_

"What what's like?" Zim asked, putting his chin on Dib's shoulder though stay as far away from the dangerously wet hair as possible.

_"Your people."_

Zim paused a moment, weighing the pros and cons. On one hand he could be killed for treason for showing Dib this much, discussing his people could get him tortured for the rest of his existence. But then, he was just one human, one human who wouldn't say anything. But could he risk a human, even Dib, keeping a secret like this? "What... exactly... do you want to know?"

Dib smiled, happy that he'd be receiving information, and he lifted his hands for more speech. _"Are they all like you?"_

Zim thought about that for a moment. He always kind of thought he fit nicely into a crowd, buuuut..."People are always telling me I'm... unique." He said finally, giving a small laugh.

_"What way?"_ Dib turned his head to show Zim his sweet innocent smile, wiggling up to Zim's chest even more, and even going as far as to shift his body so he was sitting on Zim's lap.

Zim tried not to groan at the thought of just what his co-workers had meant. "W-well I was... incredibly short... and... loud I guess. Most of my race act like... well... robots I guess you could say."

Dib twisted his lip up in thought. That sort of reminded him of here, on Earth, how everybody did as they were told, following the same old rules and everything, believing what everybody else said and so on. Only, Dib wasn't loud anymore._"What else? They nice?"_

"...Well... they aren't MEAN, really." Zim said, face twisting up a little. He'd never had to do so much thinking about his own race before.

A nasty thought then came to Dib. Since Zim was on Earth, that meant he'd one day have to go home. His only friend would leave him. _"How long you here?"_

Zim looked at Dib a little worriedly. How did an _invader_ answer a question like that? "I'm not sure... but I may have to leave soon."

Dib's hands dropped and found their way clutching onto the shirt hanging from Zim's chest. His mood dropped with those hands.

"B-but I might not." Zim said quickly. "I-I might not ever have to." Or be allowed to.

Dib looked up at Zim, the smile returning to his lips. More thunder boomed, and the human just made himself warm and cozy up against his alien. _"I hope."_ Dib signed before returning his hand back to Zim's chest so he could snuggle him.

Zim held Dib tightly against himself, looking at his SIR unit. If only Dib knew what SIR stood for. He would have a few more questions for the alien.

They stayed like this for thirty minutes before the rain began calming down. Dib was lulled at the sound of Zim's breathing, and by now they were chest to chest, Dib still clinging onto Zim and nuzzled under his chin. They passively talked together, but held no real conversation. When the human got cuddly like this with the invader, talking was limited due to his laziness and relaxation.

Zim combed his finger through Dib's now dry hair, finding the act relaxing to himself, he'd been nothing but tense since Dib had found out about him being an alien, however good he was at hiding it.

Dib sighed, on the verge of sleep, but not yet there. He pushed up against Zim's chest, eyeing him carefully as if he was about to say something, yet he looked too tired to try to communicated. He yawned, and rubbed his eye, much like a cat would after waking up, and just went back to staring at Zim long and hard.

Zim blinked at Dib, looking him up and down for a moment before asking, "D-do you need something?"

Dib held his hands up for a moment before going to think about how to say what he wanted to say. Finally, he signed. _"Do you think you could help my voice?"_

Zim had to think about that for a moment. "Wha-what, do you mean, like, heal it... or... just just, help it?"

Dib opened his mouth and pushed with all the strength he could a voice to come out. "Sp-ee..king."

Zim blinked before putting his hands on Dib's shoulders. "Don't-don't strain it... I'm not sure. I don't know how much I could do for it since, you know, I'm not an expert on human anatomy."

The teen sighed in desperation and fell back to Zim's shoulder, nuzzling his face in the best as he could, feeling hurt, and drained.

"How... how is your throat?" Zim asked, suddenly remembering just before they were pushed into the pool. "Is it alright from earlier?"

Dib shrugged, suddenly not at all feeling willful to sign or talk about it to the alien.

Zim hugged Dib to him closely, feeling his cheeks warm up a little, almost thinking it was the burn cream wearing off.

The human indulged into the squeeze until he realized something. It was quiet. There wasn't any rain! It had stopped raining- they could go back out again! Oh, but he wouldn't spoil this hug. He wrapped his arms back tightly around the other and just stay there with him.

"Dib..." Zim whispered, but went on without waiting for an answer back. "I will try to fix your voice just... you know... I can't make any promises, alright?"

That was nice of him. That was really nice of him, so Dib nodded, smiling against his perfect Zim's perfect chest.

"You... you want to come to my house?" Zim asked. He saw the SIR unit perk up a little at the mention of inviting a human into his home, but didn't say anything. It was not his place. "I have to call into work anyway. Let them know I won't be able to make it."

Dib pushed himself up from Zim's chest again to stare at Zim's eyes with his own wide eyes. He'd do that? He'd really let him come to his house? Dib smiled like mad and nodded at frenzy. That would be the coolest thing ever!

"Ok, let's go." Zim said, pulling himself up to stand, dragging Dib up with him. He felt achey all over, but at least his skin wasn't burning anymore.

Dib took hold of the alien's hand and bent down to grab his still wet wig. He grimaced at it and held it up for Zim to see as they began their walk down the tunnel. Onward! To Zim's home!

Zim grimaced as well. "We'll have to run there so I'm not noticed. Think you're up for it?" He asked, not going near the wig.

Dib quirked Zim a look like he was crazy. Clearly ZIM wasn't up for it, and they halted at the mouth of the sewer.

"What?" Zim asked, giving Dib much the same odd look.

Dib just rolled his eyes and nodded before staring out at the murky, muddy outside world with its blinding white light.

Zim squinted his red eyes a little. Well, he thought he'd be up for it, but now that he was here, he wasn't so sure he was up for a run. His house seemed so far away now.

Dib checked back at the SIR unit just standing there next to them before he decided he'd make a run for it, taking Zim's claws with him, although he had absolutely no clue as to where he was going.

Zim gasped, not having expected that at all before he picked up the pace, matching Dib's strides almost perfectly.

The human made sure to avoid the puddles as best he could, making a run for it behind a house. There, he stopped and panted for a bit, hiding Zim with him.

Zim panted as well. The burns must have been worse than they felt, or the cream would have at least made the effects of the burn go away if not some of the blistering, but he was out of breath so quickly.

_"OK?"_ Dib asked with a hand as he panted. He was just plain weak. He had no solid excuse. He glanced around quickly. Nobody was there, which was good, so he focused back on his green friend.

Zim took a gulp before nodding and pointing in the direction they needed to head. It was just a little ways past Dib's own house.

Dib nodded back and laced his fingers in between Zim's claws and jogged with him this time behind all of the houses towards the direction he pointed. Thank goodness for school! It seemed as if nobody saw them, and they even successfully passed Dib's house, but now said human was lost and let Zim lead.

Zim took Dib two blocks down and a block to the right until they arrived in a cul-de-sac and Zim's plain brown house was in view.

They practically collapsed at the door, but they made it, and they were inside! Dib dropped to the floor and panted hard before poking his eyes open and taking a good glance around.

Different shades of greens, purples, pinks, and reds were splashed about over each wall and the furniture and hall ways seemed to lead off into nowhere as the house really did seem to have a larger inside than it's outside.

Dib seemed a little disappointed by this; his imagination singing a greater story about the home of an alien. Oh well. Perhaps this'll do for now. He stood and patted himself down, peered up at Zim, and grabbed a hold of him in a tight hug.

Zim looked down at Dib for a moment before hugging back, sighing in relief that he hadn't gotten caught. "You-you really won't tell anyone about me, right?"

Dib nodded and smiled as he looked up at Zim. He was too scared! They'd only beat the crap out of him anyway if he said anything 'crazy' like that.

"Ok, then... maybe later I can show you the rest of my home, but for now, we're staying up here. Alright?" Zim asked, leading Dib over to a couch to sit.

Dib nodded vigorously as he sat. Once more, his imagination was filled with a galaxy full of ideas of what the 'rest of his home' could be like! Perhaps there were more robots, or strange alien foods. Maybe inventions, computers, space-crafts! Oh, how his mind stretched. He smiled, watching Zim move about.

Once Dib was comfortably seated on the couch Zim went into the kitchen to get them some snacks to eat. Picking out two armfuls of goodies he brought them back into the living room and dumped them on his coffee table, saying, "One of the only things I like about Earth is you can find snacks everywhere."

Dib smirked at the snacks on the table before immediately taking one and unwrapping it to get to the delicious insides. He took two big bites and smiled up at Zim. _"Thank you." _He signed while food was still being chewed in his mouth, and he slyly scooted nearer to the nurse.

"No problem," Zim said and signed, taking his own delicious snack and munching into it, some kind of pastry thing or another, not noticing Dib's sudden closeness.

_"Home is normal."_ Dib signed as he, yet again, scooted closer to Zim to where their legs were barely touching one another. He chewed more of his sweet sweet snack, while he looked about idly in the room.

"Oh, well, yeah," Zim said, giving Dib a curious look. "It kinda has to, you know, or I'd get found out."

Dib pouted. He expected something greater from the house, but he supposed this would do. Still, though, how boring.He turned his attention to Zim once more as he snagged up another snack and took it out of its wrapper to eat. He still hasn't put on his wig or contacts, so Dib would have to absorb as much as he could of the other without those two articles of disguise.He noticed that Zim's eyes were totally red, as before they just seemed pink behind the contacts. They mesmerized him, almost putting him in a strange hypnotic state. He stared.

Zim blinked. He blinked again. "What, do I have some cream on my face?" Zim asked, wiping his mouth as his eyes averted from Dib's to the cream filled pastry in his hand.

Dib kept his eyes on Zim's while shaking his head very softly, reaching up with both hands to either cheek of Zim's, laying his thumbs under his eyes. He sat up on his knees, staring, studying every bit of red colors and how they changed from dark to light to an almost ruby color, like the very stone itself, orbs of deep red.

Zim's eyes went wide for Dib, staring curiously back. Hadn't the human ever heard of personal space? But he let the boy keep staring, not moving so he wouldn't knock the human over or something. The last thing he needed after this very eventful and traumatic day was a concussion.

The human kept staring, moving a bit, more and more closer to those intriguing eyes he stared into. The deep red eyes contrasted so well against his soft, ever-turning-blue, green face.And then he caught what he was doing and let go, going back to the snacks as if he wasn't just two inches from the other's face, his own now turning red. Nope! None of that happened.

Zim's antennae twitched with amusement that he tried to keep from his face. But his blush disappeared and he asked with a poorly concealed snicker, "Am I fascinating?"

His nodding head betrayed his hands and pride as, despite the nod, his hands told the other _Don't__ flatter yourself."_ He dared not look back at Zim _at the moment._

Zim snickered and finished off his snack for another one, saying, "You know, if I were back on Irk, I would never be able to eat like this, I'm surprised I'm not huge by now."

_"E-R-K?_" Dib spelt out with his hands curiously as he munched more on a cream-filled cake snack.

Zim shook his head and spelt it out properly while his mouth was full. After swallowing he smiled and said, "But you know, the snacks aren't the only thing I like about your planet."

Dib perked up and faced Zim once more as he set the snack back down on the table. It felt like an honor for an alien to like things about the human's basic planet. Maybe after this, Zim could say more about Irk!

Zim scratched a little at some of his now flaking skin, grimacing at the grossness of it. "I guess I don't need to tell you that water is NOT one of the things I like about your planet."

Dib gave an apologetic smile at Zim. _"What else do you like?"_ Dib signed. But more to the point, _"What's Irk like?"_

"Well..." Zim gave a short pause as he thought. "I like you... and the primitive way your people seem to live, it's kind of refreshing not to be breathing completely purified, factory made air." Zim gave another pause, wondering what would be safe and what wouldn't be safe to tell this human. "And Irk... well... it's a bit bigger than Earth, and it has more moons. And none of your dirt or plants. Not that it matters, most of my race spend a major part of their lives away from Irk. It's kinda like a retirement home and smeetery now. Only none of our retirees are old."

Dib gave a curious look. Irk almost sounded metallic. And did that mean that his people retried early or what? _"You called me the S word before."_ Dib pointed out, totally fascinated by every bit of information he could get out of the alien.

Zim blinked, trying to remember the occasion. His pak did the remembering for him. "Oh, yeah, slip of the tongue. It's basically the Irken word for baby." He explained with a shrug.

Dib pouted harshly for a good five seconds before his mind suddenly took a dip towards the smeet direction. He folded his arms and began pondering upon it, deeper and deeper, letting his imagination plunge upon the subject. His expression softened and suddenly an image of a baby Zim popped into his mind. Then it ventured upon a smeet's growth structure and brain patterns. Did "Irks" even have brains?

"Only," Zim went on, trying to put his words right so as to explain things without giving too much away. "Smeet is just a... technically used word. It's not an... endearing word. You wouldn't call your lover 'smeet' or 'smeetums' or something silly like that. It's just a word for a new-to-life irken."

Dib nodded slightly, still in thought. This only seemed to make aliens like Zim sound and feel more technical to Dib. Did this mean that Zim and other aliens like him not care for any endearments?The human's face twisted up. But Zim DID say "lover." It couldn't all be just technical over on Irk.

Zim gave a sigh and brought his legs up under him on the couch. "I'm SO glad my smeet days in that dark education plug are over. I think the happiest day of my life was when I was..." He paused, clamping his mouth shut. That had been close, he'd almost told Dib about the job he'd had making weapons for the invasions and then his actual military training. "...given my mission."

Dib's attention snapped back to Zim. _"What MISSION?"_ Dib asked, having to sign out each letter of the word mission. For that matter, what was Zim even doing here on Earth? He half way didn't want to know, but he trusted Zim, so he felt it would be alright to know anyway.

Zim looked up, seeming to space out for a moment, taking a bite of some snack thing to give him time to think. Finally though, he had to swallow and he looked at Dib with a smile, saying, "It's a secret."

The human twitched. Secret? He pouted again. _"Friends __don't__ keep secrets."_ He signed before quickly reviewing in his mind if he had any secrets to save from Zim; but, he didn't, so he felt safe to accuse Zim of being a bad friend, if only for a little info.

Zim blinked and frowned. That wasn't good. But he was an alien! Surely Dib knew there would be things Zim couldn't tell him."Dib... I can't... tell you everything."

Dib frowned harder. _"Something?"_

Zim shook his head. Even if he thought Dib WOULD still be his friend after discovering what his mission was, he couldn't tell, he'd be killed. Or at the very least have his antennae ripped out, and then he'd WANT to be dead."I'm sorry, I can't tell you. But don't worry," Zim reached and hand out and rubbed Dib's head. "You do not have to worry."

Dib's expression fully softened, and with half lidded eyes moved closer to the touch. There was something just so reassuring about his best friend that made everything feel perfect like things were in order. He didn't quite want it to dismiss the fact that Zim was keeping his mission from him, but he had too quickly submitted to the attention Zim gave him.

"Just trust me," Zim said, scooting closer to envelope Dib in a hug. "Zim will make everything better." Bits of his accent escaped into words and he smiled. Somehow everything seemed right now. He could be himself, Dib finally understood his mysterious burns, and he didn't have to worry about his best friend anymore.

The human snaked his arms around Zim's neck, pushing his weight up against Zim's chest as he breathed in his scent from his shoulder and sighing it back out. His alien. He decided right then that even despite space, he'd like to be with his alien forever. That he, Zim, would be his best friend forever. That felt nice.

Zim's thoughts traveled in much the same direction. Only sadder. He would have to reveal his mission to Dib eventually. Would the human hate him, or rejoice? After all, it wasn't like he was treated all that well by his fellow man. Even by his own family. "Dib?" Zim asked, hugging the human tighter though pulling back a little to put his forehead to Dib's own.

Dib opened his eyes to watch those great red orbs at a closer view than he got to before, never at all loosening his hold on his alien.

Zim opened his mouth, though hesitated before closing it again and shaking his head. No, he couldn't ask the human that, what if he said no?

The teen watched Zim's expression turn confused, and concerned, but he waited, secretly wishing he could speak a smooth whisper of a _what_.

Zim looked back at Dib, blushing a little as he thought of all the lives he's helped destroy, and yet he wasn't able to risk a simple rejection. But no, his face turned determined, he would not let a little fear keep him from asking one of the most important questions, he felt, ever."If-if... when I have to leave... if I could bring you along... would you come with me? Would you want to?"

Dib's face lit up into a large warm smile. That would be perfect. Absolutely perfect. Not only would he be able to learn so much about other planets and their inhabitants, but he'd get to be with Zim! At least, he hoped. Without using any sign language, Dib presented his friend with a yes by shifting his head back to where his chin was on Zim's shoulder, and hugging so tightly, it knocked the Irken back on the couch.

Zim 'oof'ed and looked down at Dib with a wide grin. Perfect then! He hugged Dib tighter. "Good," He said, barely a whisper. "I thought for a moment I would have to abduct you."

His smaller human's shoulders rolled with silent laughter.

Something was going on in Dib's mind at that exact moment; a war. Twas a conflict in him, because however much Dib trusted Zim, he couldn't just drop his past ideals of aliens, nor the fact that Zim wouldn't tell him of his plans. Maybe he wouldn't be with Zim. Maybe, instead, he was just asking Dib's permission to take him from earth and bring him to his leaders to investigate and sell for labor. If not, he'd just take Dib anyway; it's not like he could really protest. But Dib tried to ignore that side of the conflict, and just devour the innocent happiness he was receiving from the other. Oh! And they felt so warm together now! Dib kind of wanted to just have Zim's robot bring them a blanket and tossing it onto both of them, so they could snuggle together and sleep. Or did that seem odd? Maybe even a little bit gay?

Nah, it couldn't be. He could have a sleep over at Zim's and sleep with him and there be nothing gay about it. Nobody could accuse him of that.But even still, he was enjoying his time with Zim a lot in almost a painful way because he couldn't just absorb Zim's whole being.

"It'll be awesome!" Zim said, invading Dib's thoughts. "I know of this one planet, you'd love it, where we could ride the space bunnies and drink soda! I've always wanted to take time off to ride the space bunnies!"

Well, that DID seem like a lot of fun.Dib would have to continue to trust Zim for now. After all, he did want his soda and ridable bunnies! He nuzzled Zim's shoulder hopefully.

Zim let them continue to hug peacefully, sighing happily. This was great! This was the best ever! He wouldn't be alone anymore! He'd complete his mission, retire, and take all the time in the world to show Dib the universe! No bullies, no Tallest, just Dib, himself, and a ship to call home! "I'm so glad," He said, nuzzling Dib back, "That we became friends."

They stayed perfect like that for about twenty minutes before Dib drowsily pulled himself up on Zim's chest to stare down. He held his hands up and began to speak with them._ "Show me your home."_

Zim pulled himself up on his elbows a bit, looking around a moment as if he felt eyes watching him before he nodded, saying, "Kitchen."

Dib scowled. _"Not what I meant."_

Zim smirked and said again, "Go to the kitchen."

The human's shoulders dropped and he gave Zim a deadpanned expression as if he couldn't be serious.

Zim sat completely up, and, smirk widening, leaned forward to whisper in Dib's ear, "Gooooooo to the kitchen."

Dib withdrew, his face growing hot in the process as he stared with wide eyes at Zim. Why did that catch him so off guard? He frowned. But fine! If Zim wanted him in the kitchen so much, he'd go!Dib pulled himself off of Zim and the couch and firmly planted his hands on his hip like some angry preteen girl as he practically marched to the kitchen, holding his nose high in authority.

Zim got up off the couch and pulled one of Dib's hands off his hip to drag him in front of the refrigerator. There they stood, Zim smirking smugly at the human, just waiting for Dib to look at him oddly. The more Dib doubted him the more impressed he would be.

Oh great. A fridge. Way to hit a home run for the team, _Zim._And thus, the human gave Zim and even more unimpressed stare.

Zim's smirk turned into a wide, toothy grin and he reached up to the top of the fridge, pressing a button which in turn caused the fridge to lift up, showing a case of stairs leading down into a darkened hallway.

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Ok, TSI claims there is a missing bit of sentance somewhere in there.. I can't find it, if, while you're reading, you happened to have stummbled on it, let me know so I can fix it please, thank you.

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI


	16. Chapter 16

Not much to say about this chapter. Just a bunch of cuteness and teassing and fluffy fluff. Enjoy and review!

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The teen's eyes grew so very wide as he saw the tunnel leading down. His jaw slacked in shock as he scooted closer to Zim. This was amazing! His house really WAS not normal! He quickly looked up to Zim, grinning widely before practically leading Zim into his own underground base.

Zim chuckled, hopping with Dib down the stairs, motion detecting sensors lighting there way as the fridge dropped back into place when they were clear. "What?" He asked. "Didn't think it would be a DOOR did you?"

Dib gave Zim's claws a quick squeeze as he stepped on the bottom step. The room was so spacious, though, still so dark! He turned to Zim, showing him how excited he was, and even bouncing a little up and down like a child in an amusement park.

"The lift is over there." Zim said, smiling at the excited human and pointing to a clear tube. "Now I can't show you everything but I will show you what I can."

Happy, pleased, and over all just about pleased with that answer, Dib pulled Zim in a tight hug for thanks.

Zim led Dib over to the elevator and pulled him inside, asking, "Which first, the REAL kitchen, or the medi-lab?"

Dib's grin widened and he couldn't quite figure himself which he WOULD rather be in! On one hand, he'd get to see real alien food! AMAZING! With real utensils and appliances aliens really used to fix their food! On another hand, if he went to the medi-lab, he'd get to see all of the futuristic-like appliances to save the lives of those like Zim! Oh, how amazing!

Ecstatically, Dib decided he'd like the medical lab first, and so signed it.

"Very well then." Zim said, pressing one of the alien numbers and the lift went done, further into the ground.

Dib tightly took a hold of Zim's arms as they went speedily downward, barely able to contain his excitement. The doors 'VZSH" open, letting the two out, and Dib to stare at how sherely amazing the lab was.

There was a table, machines, wires; tubes, more machines, liquids, pumping things, sharp small gadgets, and a variety of different colored jell in jars.

Zim smiled and led Dib through the lab, pointing to this thing and that thing as he explained with each object did.

"Of course I'm no medic drone," Zim said, plopping down into a comfy chair. "But if I need anything it's here and I do have some basic knowledge of my own functioning organs."

Dib held up a scrutinizer, a strange small device with two syringes attached to one another and spaced just perfectly for their function. It was pretty.

"You know, while we're here I can have my computer run a scan on you, so see if there's anything irken medical practices can do for you." Zim offered, tilting his head curiously.

Dib put the scrutinizer down and looked equally curiously back at Zim. _"It safe?"_

"Of course, watch," Zim said, standing up straight, his hands by his sides. "Computer, give me a full body scan please." With that two red beams went over Zim's body, front and back and the results popped up on a large screen in the center of the far wall.

Dib took a look at the writing on the screen. It was in a foreign, alien language! How exciting! So, the human turned back to Zim, smiled, and nodded, standing up straight for his exam.

Zim smiled and said in the same, clear, authoritative voice, "Computer, run scan on human guest, subject name, Dib."

Dib tried to keep himself from holding his breath as the beams of light went over him as well, but he was good. Watching now as his own stats went on the medical screen. He took a look and stepped closer to Zim's chair.

Zim read the results over before walking up to the screen and typing in a few things, the screen shoveling Dib's stats to one side as on the other side of the screen bits of data began to match up with words on Dib's side. "I have it set to double check your results," Zim explained as he watched all this being worked out. "Right now it's cross referencing data across several different medical data bases, just to make sure the readings are right."

The human gave Zim an even more curious look, but he walked up to his side, staring up at the screen with unique writing on it, still not completely understanding what was being processed.

Zim looked sideways at Dib for a moment before smirking wide, asking, "While this is being done want to go see the kitchen?"

Dib tried to read the smirk on Zim's face to try to pin exactly what was up, but couldn't. He wanted to see the kitchen anyhow, so he nodded. And just like that, they were gone to the elevator, being pushed up just a bit for the kitchen.

Zim pulled Dib out and brought him into the kitchen, smiling wide. If he thought his own Earth snacks were good, wait until he tried Irken snacks!The kitchen was very simple, a few cabinets for supplies, a single table with a few chairs, a couple of pantries which held packaged, military rations, and a food producer.

Dib strayed from Zim's hold to explore the food himself, each snack looking less appealing than the one before. How could Zim stand this weird, gooey purply things?

He held a cabinet door open as he once more deadpanned Zim.

Zim pulled said bag of gooey purply things out of the pantry of himself, chewing each one thoroughly."What?" He asked as he followed Dib to the cabinet.

Dib grimaced slightly, sticking his tongue out in a bit of disgust.

Zim smirked and held one out for Dib, the gooey ness making it look more like a liquid, practically dripping out of his fingers. "Tryyyy iiiittt..."

Dib took a step back, his face turning in all sorts of directions of 'ew'. He backed up against the counter, still grimacing as he watched the oozing treat spill over Zim's claws and on to the floor.

Zim snickered as he watched it splat. "You have to try one," He said, pulling another from the bag and holding it more carefully this time. "You can't leave the kitchen 'till you doooooo."

A sharp glance went up Zim's way before Dib tenderly and timidly took the treat from him. To his mouth it went, and the human held his breath in disgust, debating if he really, honestly wanted to put that thing into his body. He shut his eyes, and took a bite, and began chewing it ever so slowly.

Zim giggled at the way Dib's cheeks puffed out as the solid/nonsolid thing was slipped into his mouth and the many forms Dib's expression took as he chewed at it. It was just too adorable!

Dib swallowed it before opening an eye of his, then the other. It... Wasn't too awful. Actually, apart from how slimy it was, it was pretty good! Still, the texture did weird him out a bit. He looked onto Zim again, expectantly.

"Another?" Zim offered, holding up another one for Dib.

Dib took it faster than Zim had expected and slurped down the odd slimy thing before eating it all. It was good once you got over the weirdness!

Zim laughed, eating his own. He laughed again after swallowing the thing whole. "Feels like drinking soda with some, like, super surface tension thing going on."

Dib nodded before taking a glance around some more. _"I expected more." _Dib signed truthfully as he looked at all of the boring equipment.

"Haven't shown you everything though have I?" Zim asked with a smirk, crossing his arms.

Dib gave him a curious look. _"Quit hiding thing! I want to see!"_ He pouted, pursing his lips in a childish manor.

Zim laughed and motioned Dib over to the food producer, pushing the single, red button on the left lower corner of the machine and speaking into the mic-spot, "Earth, pizza." The food instantly materializing inside the microwave looking device.

This had Dib gasping. He practically flew to the food materializer. It signaled when it was done and Dib opened up the device, and grabbed a slice of nice, perfectly heated pepperoni pizza. He pulled it out, strings of cheese sticking to the other pizza. It was just as it should have been. He smiled, and took a few delicious bites from it.

Zim leaned against the counter the producer was on, smiling with utmost smugness. "Expected anything like that?"

Dib took another bite, and with a smirk to tease Zim with, nodded while he chewed.

Zim's smile never left his face as he leaned down, planning on doing some teasing of his own, whispering once more in Dib's ear, making sure to breathe extra, "Good, isn't it?"

Dib's smirked dropped as his heart jumped in his chest, his cheeks once more flushing. Why was he being this way?! Oh, how frustrating! Dib was getting frustrated! He scowled and nodded, chewing his bite even slower as he forgot about the pizza almost entirely.

Zim leaned back, an innocent smile on his face as he grabbed his own slice of the perfect pizza, taking a bite before asking, "Shall we continue the tour?"

The human nodded, holding the pizza slice up as he back tracked back towards the elevator, his mood seemingly dropped.

Zim blinked. That was not the reaction he had expected, but then you never could tell with teenagers, their emotions reminding him very much of that saying, "Life is like a box of chocolates."

He followed the human into the lift and looked at all the different buttons, asking after a moment, deciding it was safe, "Want to see where I sleep?"

Dib's face once more lit up as he excitedly looked at Zim. Did he sleep in a bed? Perhaps a cocoon? A tube, maybe? Oh, his paranormal mind ticked but he was sure, soon he'd know the answer.Yup! He nodded.

Zim smiled now that Dib's mood had lifted once more and he pressed the button, taking them so low into the base the temperature dropped about five degrees by the time they reached it, and it was still not the bottom. The alien led his human companion out into a hall, saying, "This level is where all of my personal rooms are. My bed room, my closet, a shower stall, a wash room, and a personal mini kitchen. But it doesn't have a wonderful food producer, it's just in case I'm confined down here and need some food."

Dib nodded as he looked around curiously in the hall, looking at all of the different doors until he came to the hall to where he found a steely looking door. _This must be Zim's room._ Dib thought to himself as he felt the steel-like door before glancing back to Zim.

Zim nodded and opened the door with the push of a button, letting Dib into his simple, yet comfortable room.

As the door opened, Dib stared at the remarkable simplicity of Zim's room. All there was in there was a nightstand with a lamp on it, and a large red bed, with red sheets and red and purple pillow. The walls were all different shades of red, too. The human blinked before walking over to the bed curiously, and, feeling it with his right hand, decided it was safe to plop down on as he looked at how empty the room was.

"The mattress is made super soft to accommodate for our paks." Zim explained, motioning to his back with a thumb as he plopped down next to Dib. "It's hard to sleep on your side though... I wonder sometimes if I'm the only one that does that though, cause I never hear anyone else complain."

Dib gave a soft smile and signed back at Zim. _"I like sleep on my side and __stomach,"_ He informed the other, but right after he did, he sort of felt bad, thinking about how Zim probably didn't care to know that useless factoid about the human.

"I don't like to sleep on my stomach." Zim said, tilting his head towards Dib. "But then that would be dangerous." He bit his lip, not ready to tell Dib yet why it was so dangerous.

_"Why?"_ Dib signed anyway, completely oblivious to Zim's disgruntle towards that.

"Irkens should never leave their backs exposed." Zim said simply, motioning his head to the wall the bed was against. "That's why I put my bed in the corner."

Dib gave the other an almost concerned look before leaning back to see the pak. He drew out a hand and reached out for it curiously.

Zim had to force himself not to move, not that he was worried about Dib, not only was the human most likely not strong enough to pull the pod off his back but he trusted the human... but instincts ran hard, making Zim want to flinch away, not to mention you didn't just touch someone's pak, it was considered rude. But Dib didn't know that, so he could forgive the human for it.

The human's fingers tapped down against the shell on Zim's back. It felt sturdy and strange, like there was life growing in it. If this wasn't so fascinating, it would have scared Dib away from the pak, but instead, he brushed his fingers down it. This wasn't so bad, and Zim seemed to be taking it well, he noted.

"Be careful." Zim said quietly, not wanting to break Dib's fascinated exploration. "The skin around an irken's pak is very sensitive since it isn't exposed to much."

Oh! And when red buttons came up saying 'do not push' the first thing Dib would want to do is touch it!

He scowled at Zim, drawing back every temptation to feel just that- the skin around his Pak. But he stopped himself, taking his hand back, no longer wanting to make Zim at all more uncomfortable.

Zim relaxed a little now that Dib's hand was no longer there, but didn't want to seem like he'd been tense at all so he stretched, stood up, and asked, "Want to come see the shower?"

Dib stared back at the soft bed, and then up to Zim. Oh, he'd miss the soft bed, but he nodded anyhow, standing and taking hold of Zim's arm for him to be lead away to the shower.

"Good, I have to spray this flaking skin off my anyhow." Zim said, leading his way back into the hall, and then down it two doors until he came to another room and opened those doors which led into a completely tiled, candy pink room with a shower in the corner, curtains there to wrap around the area instead of a square, glass chamber like the human showers, and what looked like a jakoozie in the middle of the room.

"For chemical burns." Zim explained, motioning to the tub. "But I've experienced enough chemical burns that it can double as a nice, relaxing soak for when you're done with your shower."

Dib nodded before curiously, like the human he was, going to the shower-like department, and pressing a button, turning it on, for the liquid to poor out, which sort of startled Dib to see it was pink.

Zim carefully snuck up behind Dib, taking his shirt off as he went, grimacing as flakes of his dead skin fell to the ground. "Care to join me?" Zim teased, smirking at the human.

Dib's eyes fell to Zim's chest before he wound them up to the ceiling, averting his gaze from Zim, however naked he had seen him earlier. He backed away from the shower, his face turning a fiery red at the very thought of getting naked with a Zim and showering. Why was Zim even proposing that!? Even as a joke! How embarrassing!

Zim snickered before disgustedly brushing more flakes from his shoulder. "Those- urgh- bastards will pay for the scarring I will no doubt end up with. My antennae could have dissolved!" He spat angrily, glaring at the floor where the thin, pale green flakes landed, the skin underneath similar to the shade of aloe leaves.

Dib's eyes fell back to Zim, looking a bit disgruntled at the flakes and skin. He pocketed his hands and turned; now leaving Zim for his shower.

"Won't take ten seconds." Zim said with a smile as he pulled off the rest of his clothes, then hopping in the shower, pulling the curtain closed, and pressing another button. The sound of running water increased as jets of the clear liquid sprayed hard from all around, blasting the rest of the flaking skin from Zim's body.

Dib waited outside the restroom, curiously looking about the plain red walls. The walls were just so bare, so naked. OH! Another mental image of naked Zim! Dib threw his palm to his forehead and slid down the closed door to sit. There was something seriously wrong with him to keep stumbling onto that thought.

Zim, as promised, was quick out, getting dressed in fresh clothes. He felt a little weird, letting Dib out of his sights. But he had, and he opened the door to find the human.

Dib had migrated to Zim's bed, plopped down on his stomach with a pillow in his arms. He looked over to Zim, vastly surprised at how quick that took. He waved his hand in greeting.

Zim waved back, smiling at the human. He really was adorable sometimes, like a pet or the smeet that he was. "Nice isn't it?"

Said smeet-human nodded into the pillow, taking his arm back around it to snuggle the thing of fluff some more. Zim was so lucky to have such a soft bed like this! And thus, he slowly forgot about Zim again as his mind swiftly calmed over thanks to the relaxing soft bed.

Zim smiled and walked over to the human, sitting down on the bed and stroking Dib's hair lightly. It was icky from the foul sewer water and he thought a moment of making Dib take a shower himself, but thought against it, things were to peaceful to ruin it with his obsessive need for clean.

Dib took in a great big sigh before facing his friend and giving him a smile back. Vaguely he wondered what time it was, and if Gaz was back from school yet, but that probably wasn't the case.

"Would you like a nap?" Zim asked, putting a thumb under Dib's eye and stroking it like a mother would their child.

Dib furrowed his brows lightly in thought. No, that wasn't what he wanted! He wanted to spend time more with Zim, however much his eyelids drooped on the insanely comfortable bed designed for Irkens. A space bed! He was on a space bed! But he had to see more- but at the same time...Dib closed his eyes without even realizing it.

Zim smiled, gently stroking Dib's head and face a little more before getting up. He needed to check on Dib's scans anyway, see if there was anything he could do for the human.

By the time Zim had made it back to the medical room, the scans had finished, with Dib's results now posted on the screen in large Irken letters.

Zim looked over the information, studying it close. Yes... this seemed fixable, maybe there WAS something he could do, though he'd need more human supplies to help him. Why the doctors hadn't noticed this he couldn't even fathom.

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Zim: Me

Dib: TSI


	17. Chapter 17

Well, TSI decided that this chapter was a little boring, so we're going to be updating twice this Friday, hope you don't mind. XD

REVIEW!

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It was a good thirty minutes later when Dib turned onto his back on Zim's bed. He woke up, though he didn't want to. He wanted to sleep some more, but he felt a distinct shift of weight in the bed, so he opened his eyes only to find those large strange red eyes staring down at him, with a smile for the boy underneath.

Dib startled, taking in a great breath of air as he crawled back on the bed only slightly.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Zim asked, tilting his head to the side, smile still there.

Dib nodded stiffly as he kept his eyes on Zim and his hand to his heart trying to calm it down after that near heart attack. He sighed, closing his eyes as he calmed down, only to open his golden eyes once again to give Zim an appreciative smile.

"Sorry again, but I think I can fix your throat." Zim said, leaning back a little before leaning forward once more and saying, "Also, there's still some pizza in the kitchen, want some?"

Dib's eyes went wide as did his smile when he took hold of Zim in a tight mad hug. This was GREAT! He was going to be able to SPEAK again! Oh, this was one of the best news he could ever receive!

Zim hugged back before pulled back and looking at Dib seriously, saying, "But it MIGHT require surgery... otherwise I might not be able to do anything."

Dib flinched. That was like asking Dib to dissect a living pig! Sure, he's dissected a pig in science class before, but it was dead, and although he knew where everything was, he just didn't have a real good grip on the innards of a pig.He held up his hands. _"You think you can do it?"_

Zim nodded. "I've worked on lots of machines before and have basic knowledge of the human body, all I would need is a book explaining how to do it and it would be no problem."

Dib wasn't sure if he felt completely comfortable with this. In the back of his mind, his imagination could only stray to all of the alien devices Zim could install in him to keep him as a slave. But he held his breath and decided to trust his friend, however limited his information on humans may be. He gave a nervous smile and went back to hugging Zim.

Zim smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for letting me do this."

Maybe he WAS going to implant some alien device?No, Dib shook that thought out again. He pulled back once more from the hug to sign back to Zim. _"Are you sure you want a talking DIB though?"_

Zim nodded. "Why not, you're my friend, and I want to hear you speak." The alien smiled, excited about the prospect of operating on a human.

Zim obviously wasn't thinking about the problems with this. _"I'm annoying."_ Dib signed, unsatisfied by how naive Zim was.

Zim stared at the human for a moment before laughing, saying and signing, "So am I."

Dib gave him a confused smile and signed back, all the while appreciating Zim's signing. _"No you're not."_

"You're the only one who thinks not." Zim said, matching his word with his hands. "But my whole race thinks I'm an annoying little inv- pipsqueak."

Dib gave the other a doubtful smirk but decided to drop it, in favor for another thank you hug.

Zim hugged Dib back, humming happily. He would get to talk with Dib! Actually hold conversations! He may even be able to teach Dib how to speak irken!

Dib, nuzzling into Zim's shoulder, decided that this would be a great time to just start gnawing on the collar of Zim's fresh shirt as he closed his eyes and calmed down once more.

Zim's eyed landed on Dib's shoulders as he couldn't reach Dib's face. He blinked, and again, wondering just what Dib thought he was doing.

Ah, yup. Sure enough, Dib relaxed though, slumping in Zim's hold while his fingers tangled and untangles and tangled again repetitively behind Zim's back and his shirt collar got chewed.

Zim just sighed and let himself relax as well. This Dib, so weird, he really was just like an adorable form of dog or something, clinging to its master and giving the weirdest signs of affection, but all the same, it was nice to have someone who practically orbited around his very existing, the path thrown if he ever got hurt or wounded or wasn't feeling good.

They sat like this together for five minutes, Dib eventually getting bored with the now soggy collar he had be sucking and gnawing on to pull back and rest his forehead up against Zim. His eyes drooped, as did his hands on Zim's back, but he smiled.

"Do you want more sleep?" Zim asked, tilting his head to the side as he stared into Dib's eyes, his gaze hindered some by those eyes shields of his.

Dib shook his full head of hair along _with _his head, 'no', but tagged in sign language to speak back. _"Not unless you sleep with me."_

Zim stared at Dib in thought. But he wasn't tired. And if the human was then he might as well get some sleep. But a nap would be nice, he decided, it would take his mind off his skin's buzzing with suppressed burning. So he sighed and nodded, saying, "Alright, alright, I'll nap with you."

Dib innocently smiled and yanked Zim back with him on the bed, falling softly on the pillow previously set there for the human. How great! His voice was going to be fixed, and here was Zim, napping with him with his alien warmth and alien tingly feelings he gave the other!

Zim 'oof'ed as he fell onto the bed next to the human, but almost on top of, and he silently wished he had fallen on top of Dib, give him time to experiment with Dib's emotional changes more. But it couldn't be helped and he simply lay down next to the human and held him tightly.

Dib let go of Zim to reach over one handedly lazily for the blanket in which he tossed over them to warm up better. Suddenly, despite how he wanted to go back to napping, and with Zim even, the fact that Zim was here with him pushed down that desire so he could just stay awake and hug his friend.

Zim pulled another of the pillows under his own head, pulling Dib close as he began to stroke the human's sides, smiling happily as he closed his eyes, though didn't sleep.

If Dib could purr, he'd be a vibrating cat at the moment from the sheer contentness Zim was giving him by the soft three-clawed soft strokes his sides were receiving. Still no sleep.

Zim's strokes began to get lower as they stroked, moving down Dib's hips. He wanted to try and get the human to react, whether to shove him off or something or... do whatever it was humans did when they liked the attention.

Dib's skin prickled and suddenly he felt on edge the further down Zim went. Zim's claws were so near his butt, and now his thighs! He wasn't sure why that was so shocking and strange, but it was! His eyes snapped open and he could feel himself rubbing up against Zim now, but only slightly, as he hid his reddening face by burying it into Zim's shoulder even more.

Zim's antennae twitched, the rush of chemicals released into Dib's body a sure sign that his plan was working. The only thing was though; Dib had told the alien before that he wasn't gay, and yet he appeared to be... would 'lusting' be the appropriate word- after his alien friend. It just didn't make sense to Zim at all.

The strange sensation continued going all throughout Dib before he decided it was enough strange feelings from the alien, and he pushed at Zim just enough to scoot out from under him to turn to have his back facing his friend. He needed to calm down and fast! Things were getting _uncomfortable _in places they shouldn't!

Zim decided to stop teasing Dib for now and let the human have his nap, so he wrapped his arms around his Dib and just hugged him lightly.

Dib's blush never faded as he just laid there with his eyes open. What did this mean exactly? And why was it happening? What was so wrong with him that he'd so easily be affected by the alien's magical psychic tough? That had to be it, right? That since Zim is an alien; he could do things like this, right? Well, it had to be something! Although, now, he could most definitely not sleep, he pushed himself up against Zim's chest, unlike how his mind told him to keep away. His instincts told him otherwise.

"Dib?" Zim asked, cuddling the human. "How are you for going to school tomorrow? Will you be alright?"

_"Walk. No."_ Dib signed dryly over his head, still a bit uncomfortable by Zim's touches.

"So you'll be skipping?" Zim asked, snuggling his face close to Dib's hair, but not in a position to where he could smell it. After all, the human STILL hadn't had a bath yet.

Dib shrugged before nodding. After all, this was the boy who would stick a loli-pop stick down his throat to prevent himself from going. Might as well skip every chance he got and his Dad wouldn't be home tomorrow.

"Alright, just wanted to know." Zim said simply before pretending to drift off, though really he wanted to make sure. He did not want Dib there as he extracted his revenge against the humans who had harmed Dib and himself. It would ruin Dib's image of him as the friendly alien from Irk.

The blushing had parshly went away and he felt it would be safe for Zim to see his face again, so he turned a little, just enough so he could see Zim's face. He didn't EVER want to go back to that hell hole.

* * *

Zim walked to school wearing a newly made wig, newer contacts, as both articles had been ruined by the water, and his skin was still bright from all the burning that had taken place yesterday. And boy was he pissed! Antennae were flicking around agitatedly, looking around for the bullies, hoping to sense them somewhere around, preferably near the sewers.

As they were. Their voices ringing through the large cement pipe, echoing laughter and teases as they couldn't find Dib walking to school today.

Zim smirked. Oh this was PERFECT! And Dib wasn't around to see the true him, so that was even more perfect!

Steadily he walked into the cave like pipe, an almost friendly smile drawn on his face.

One of the bullies in the back's attention was grabbed by the sound of approaching footsteps. He tapped the guy next to his shoulder, as did he, and attention was grabbed all around.

They were too far into the pipe to see the light of day outside, and thus were not fortunate enough to receive a shadow from a very angry Zim."Who's there?!" One of them jerked out, though, not wanting to sound scared by their approaching company, cemented his confidence. "Dibbles, I swear, if that's you I'll-"

"No," Zim said quickly. "Poor Dibbles won't be joining us today." He dropped his back pack, which he had also had to replace thanks to the rain. The almost crazed smile on his face could be heard in his voice, his accent blending into his speech as he went on. "You've done some terrible things to the poor human, so today, it'll be just you all, and little old me." A light came out of his pak, illuminating the scene, more for effect than necessity.

The group gasped, and took awkward steps back until one by one they realized what they were doing. They were _cowering_ from the green kid because of some fancy light!"

That's fine! We can take you! You're all alone!"

"Yeah! We got you before, we can do it again."

It was evident the group was about to shit their pants, so to speak, in the sewer pipe.

"Yes, but that was when I had something to hide." Zim pointed out, pulling his disguise off and storing it in his pak, now out in the open for this small group of humans to see.

Not that they would be doing much 'seeing' in the near future.

They stood stone cold in their tracts. There, in front of them, was a bald green teenager with two long black stocks on his head and eyes that were made out of garnet.

One of the bullies, in denial, spoke up in an overly fake tough voice. "W-what's wrong with you? ALLERGIC TO OUR AWESOMENESS or did that thing of Dib finally get in your eyes and pulled your hair too hard?! HA! You get it?! Cause he's gay! Get in his eyes!"

Nobody else seemed to be laughing.

"Dude, that wasn't funny." One of them spoke out as they continued to stare in disbelief at the alien.

Zim only laughed, but hard. More mocking than amused.

"You poor things have no idea the shit you've gotten your selves into." He said as he advanced upon them, his four, deadly, mechanical legs sprouting from his back dramatically. "And the best part is, no one will ever be able to find your bodies."

Complete, almost total silence blanketed the gang. It was ironic, you see, them picking on Dib because he was weaker and ranted about aliens, and yet here was one of Dib's 'hallucinations' come to do them in. Only it was real, and Dib wasn't crazy.

Finally, they let out their banshee screeches as they made a run for the end of the tunnel- the end where they would find light and would be away from this monster and out in the open. The end never came though, and metallic clanking eased up closer to them before noises of shredding was insured. One of the poor bullies checked back, only to see the damage Zim was placing on his friends.

Zim though, never gave anyone any actually fatal cuts... though he did make a sure a damn lot of them would never be able to reproduce.He cornered a good lot of them, securing them against a wall with his now bloodied mech legs before smirking his widest. That's when the light went out, and the group was plunged into darkness.

"MONSTER!" One screamed before another gave a shriek. They had no clue what Zim was planning on doing, but they were positive they were going to die.

With an insane cackle Zim used his spider like legs to herd the humans to the edge, and then over, listening with much satisfaction at their screams and splashes.

The stench of the sewer water clogged into their noses, forcing two of them to throw up, but all of them to gag. Some were so unfortunate that when they screamed and kicked and tried to hold themselves up, they got some of the nasty water into their mouths. Despite all of this, none of them were trying to swim back to the ledge they had fallen from. No, they had to get as far away from Zim as possible, despite how hard it was to kick their legs in the water when their crotches were so torn up.

Satisfied, Zim put his disguise back on and began walking out of the sewer, a much happier look on his face as he picked his book bag up on the way, then made it back out into the light and was ready for a new day of school.

* * *

The next day Dib stepped into his English class, looking highly paranoid. He held five pencils in his hands and four notebooks and two pens, his backpack being nowhere to be found. He spotted Zim in his desk and carefully, very carefully, made his way to his own desk next to him. He set his stuff down and balled up in his seat, looking very scared before he turned and waved timidly at Zim.

Zim gave Dib a much happier wave, his smile dropping though when he saw the look Dib was currently sporting. _'What's wrong?_' He asked in sign.

_"I __don't__ know._" Dib signed as he glanced around the room. _"I think the guys from yesterday are plotting. They're being really, really, really, really nice. They gave me pencils and stuff for my missing backpack!"_ The human had obviously been reading more of his sign language book, but spared no time in explaining the strange phenomenon going on to Zim.

Zim gave a soft snicker, shaking his head and signing, "_Maybe they're crazy."_

Dib gave a smile in return and brought up his hands to sign some more when an annoying voice rang in. "Hi, Zim! Whatchyu doin' Zim?"

Keef let his backpack drop next to his chair as he perched over to speak to his buddy.

Dib, now being spoiled with his Zim time, gave the red-head a definite unthrilled stare.

Zim groaned and turned to give Keef a stare, half tempted to drag him down to the sewers as well. "Not much, Keef." The alien said with fake friendliness. Just give him what he wants, Zim figured, and it would make him go away.

"Hey, Zim, do you think you'll wanna hang out with me today after school?" The freckled teen asked with glee in his eyes. "It would me amazing! Just you, me, the sky, and the mall! Oh, you like the mall, don't you Buddy?"

_'Not __particularly_ Zim thought, but instead of saying that he put on a fake, apologetic look, saying, "Oh, sorry.. eh, buddy, I have to work after school."

Dib's eyes narrowed into little slits towards Keef. He wanted quality time with his alien! The jerk."Well, that's okay," Keef's smile never wavered. "Would you like to eat with me at lunch instead?"

Oh the NERVE of that little twiggy rainbow-covered unicorn loving prancy fanatical spastic Keef! Dib twitched at his new proposal.

Zim's face twisted up, that is, until his antennae twitched, catching Dib's emotions hovering around in the air. Was he... was he JEALOUS!? The very THOUGHT would have been laughable if he hadn't felt it with his own two antennae! But this gave him a very good opportunity to test his theory about Dib out, so, with a smile he said, "Sure thing! You can sit with me and Dib!"

_"What?"_ Dib signed in the air, trying to catch Zim's attention away from Keef. This was REDICULOUS! Absolutely absurd! So, so Zim actually liked Keef as a friend. This, this Keef that was trying to take away his Zim, Zim made all the more easier for him to be taken away!

Dib fidgeted in bright protest.

"THAT'S GREAT, Buddy!" Keef's teeth shined in his overall extaticness. "We'll eat together, and sit together, and drink juice together, and talk together- well. Not Dib. Dib doesn't do that anymore, but... STILL!"

"Yeah, it'll be great right!?" Zim said, giving Keef two thumbs up. He could feel Dib's heart racing, and that chemical signature, it was so perfect!

Dib glared at Keef a little hurt before taking his notebook and writing in large scribbly letters on it, holding it up for Mrs. Malloy to notice as she waited for the rest of the class to come in before the bell.

"Yes, Dib. You may relieve yourself in the restroom, or take a dump, or whatever you're planning on doing, but be back before I start reading Buedog, or I swear, you aren't coming out of detention for a year." And with that, the human teen stood and left in a rush to go calm his nerves from the infuriating Zim and Keef.

Zim watched Dib curiously. The prospect of having lunch with Keef couldn't be THAT dreadful could it?

"You want to draw butterflies 'till class starts, Zim?" Keef smiled brightly, putting his notebook on Zim's desk so they could draw together.

Zim's curious look turned into a frown. Of all the people to get teased for being gay it was Dib and not Keef!? Remarkable.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib/Keef: TSI


	18. Chapter 18

Second part of tonights update, you all can thank TSI for this!

Thank you TSI!

REVIEW!

* * *

Zim led Dib over to the table they would be sharing with Keef, pretending to be excited, after all, after that display in class he had to keep going with it.

Dib sat and scowled as he saw the bright orange curly hair of a certain Keef bob before the teen sat next to Zim, Dib, instead, sitting just across from the two, deciding he wanted some distance at the moment. Oh, that wretched Keef! He was sitting too close to Zim! And what of Zim about it? He seemed happy! Dib scowled some more, leaning down on the table as he neglected his food to watch the two with a careful eye.

"Would you like my apple, Buddy?" Keef smiled as he held up a vegetable-like-fruit for Zim that happened to be a tomato, not an apple.

Zim poked his tongue out, holding a hand up and saying, "No, thank you." Fruits he couldn't eat as most of them were so juicy and watery and he'd had enough of water for a while.

"Muty want it?" Keef asked, then holding it out for Dib to take.

Dib just glared at Keef thinking about how retarded the teenager was. How did he even graduate elementary school with a mind like that? He shifted his glare to Zim instead. How could Zim even like somebody like that when he had Dib, somebody much greater in every way than Keef?

Zim had to keep from smacking Keef who was obviously upsetting Dib, until he got the glare and he had to try real hard to keep the smile in his face. This plan was working a little too well it seemed.

The mute teen pouted and averted his eyes, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand as his elbow found the table.

Keef frowned. He never liked the apples but could never get rid of it without wasting the poor fruit. So instead he reached his hand down into the bag and pulled out pretzels which he got to eating right away. "So, Zim," Keef turned his attention back to his green friend. "Do you think you can come over to my birthday?"

Dib's attention was caught, but he didn't even glance at the two.

"It depends on the day and time," Zim said with a happy little shrug. "I might be working then, I'm not sure yet, but I will definitely RSVP when I know." Irk he was making HIMSELF sick with the way he was acting, he was surprised Dib hadn't thrown up yet.

"Great," Keef beamed. "It's on Saturday! You can come by at anytime you can, Zim! That'll be SUPER!"Dib's urge to destroy Keef was rising steadily, but he stayed put to hear Zim's response.

"Alright, I'll see you there." Zim said, though he felt a piece of himself break off an die at that. There would be no way he was going to that party.

It was at that moment, Keef began spazzing wildly, almost as if he was having a seizure, but the nurse checked him out on this and proved that, no, it was all him on his own. He shook, now falling to the floor and foaming at the mouth, grinning and singing about unicorns.

Way to go, Zim. He sure picked himself out a winner.

* * *

_'FINALLY!'_ Zim shouted in his head as the final bell rang and he quickly hopped up to leave the class room. He wanted to hurry and get to Dib to try and avoid running in to Keef again.

Dib weaved through the students, also trying to avoid Keef when his wrist was suddenly caught by Zim. The frown that he had been wearing this whole time with Keef in Zim's presence now went away for a conflicted smile to the other.

Zim smiled brightly at Dib, trying to pass off his eagerness to get out of there as happiness as he said, "Let's get out of here, yeah?"

Dib nodded. Things were going to fall back in place again. Everything was alright, and thus they left.

Zim followed Dib out of the crowd, recalling a time when he couldn't see over a single person's head, but now he was a good at least two inches up from the crowd, and life was good.

Once Zim and Dib poured into a more crowded part of the halls, Dib gave a real smile. Finally! Away from Keef. He looked over his shoulder to Zim as he continued on through the hall. A few people stared at them, but Dib shrugged it off. People were always staring.

Zim wanted to hug Dib for putting the poor human through all of that with Keef, but then that would be admitting to lying and he didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with the human so he contained himself.

Dib walked now at a slower pace, towards the door they went until they heard a familiar voice.

"HEY!"

Great. It was Keef. Dib scowled and glared back at the red-headed teen, tightening his grip on Zim's claws possessively.

"You disappeared on me, Zim!" Keef sang out innocently.

_Yeah, probably because you're such a hyperactive-annoying-spaz._ Dib thought with a glare to the redhead.

"Oh, I'm sorry Keef." Zim said, giving Keef a very strained smile. It was so hard to keep this up.

"Oh, it's okay, BUDDY!" Keef grinned widely. "So you wanna walk HOME together?"

Dib twitched and became even more uneasy as he pulled himself closer to Zim as if saying the alien was his, and his alone.

"S-sorry, can't." Zim said, eyes shifting as if looking for an excuse. "I have to r-run home. You know I have work right after."

Keef stared for a bit like he had heard incorrectly before he saw Dib's own smile widen into a mean sneerish smirk. "But- But you walk DIB home!" The red-head spoke with a whine. "That's no fair! You're my best friend! I want to walk with you! Ziiiim!"

**"**Keef your house is the other way." Zim pointed out with a smile, still trying to be friendly. "Dib's is on the way."

Dib waved his hand at the annoying nescience as if doing so would help him hurry out of his line of sight."Buddy!" Keef came near to the two to take hold of Zim's shoulders. "If nobody walks me home then I'll be chased by the evil bee's that have something against me! They always chase me when I'm alone! Please don't leave me alone! The bees, Zim! The bees!"

Zim bit his lip. "Keef..." He stuttered out, looking from Dib to Keef. He just didn't know what to do!That's when it hit him and quickly he leaned down slightly to place a kiss quickly on Keef's lips.

Both of the humans' eyes widened in shock. As Zim left Keef's lips, Keef stared before bringing his fingers to gingerly touch his lips.

Dib couldn't help the water rushing to his eyes, and the blood running straight up to his face, his heart dropping and his knees' awkward shaking. This hurt so much! But he didn't want to take a grasp of the feeling to figure it out. He'd rather just run away like he did with every other one of his problems.

He disbanded his hand from Zim's to turn back to the door and run out, darting away as fast as he could. He stumbled and tripped on the dirt, trying to escape from the small section of the school so tainted now with evil and horrible wrongness of his best friend and the annoying red-headed boy. _The red-headed boy that was better than he was._ Everything was ruined now!

"Th..thanks, Zim..." Keef spoke up finally, keeping his eyes on the green teenager.

Zim's eyes were not on the fruity, red-head, instead they were looking out the door at Dib's retreating back. What was that... that pure burst of emotion. It... he didn't want to admit it, but it made him hurt, sadness caught by his antennae and traveling through him and resting in his squeedilly-spooch like a weight. "Bye, Keef." Zim said without even looking at the human as he ran out of the school, chasing after _his_ human.

Dodging in between houses and quickly climbing over fences did Dib escape. He had to get as far away as he could so he could just sit alone and collect himself. He kept running, farther and farther until he came to a fence too high to climb, so he just stopped their in the leafy bush to sit and cry in his silence. Why did Zim like Keef like that? He thought Zim was his, and that Zim liked him best, but that wasn't the case. He'd rather touch lips with Keef than he would with Dib. This ached so much, though. It hurt too entirely much! The human clutched onto his chest under the branches of the bush. It hurt too much, it just hurt way too much!

Zim ran as fast as he could after the human, but going slow enough to be able to sense him. Not that it was hard, he could feel the hurt five miles away, but pin pointing it was hard, so he took the path to Dib's house, sensing for the human until he found the location and climbed over the fence carefully, sitting on top of it and looking down at Dib's hiding place.

He felt so bad, he didn't know it would hurt the human so much! He just wanted to see if what Dib felt for him was just a teen crush, or lust even, or if it was something more, like on all those sappy TV shows on the woman channel.

"Dib?" Zim asked quietly, not wanting to startle the human.

The human tensed up, stopping his sniffling immediately to try to stay as silent as he could, almost as if he couldn't be seen if he could just try hard enough to be invisible. But, oh, Zim was there! He was looking at him! He just wanted to take hold of the alien and cry into his chest with their arms wrapped around one another's back. At the same time, all he wanted to do is run and hide away from him, so he stayed put, unable to decide within his heart what he wanted to do.

"Dib, what's wrong?" Zim asked, hopping off of the fence gracefully and landing in front of the bush Dib was hiding behind. "Did I do something again?"

Of course he had known that he had done something, but he felt if Dib would say it, or sign it, he could do more to make it better, that he would know what he could do.

Dib just retreated further into the bush, curling up into a small little ball against the fence, hiding his face behind his arm, trying to block everything away.

Zim frowned hard, reaching into the bush and putting a hand on Dib's cheek, hoping to coax the boy out.

Zim's thumb claw met with acid as Dib pushed him away, turning to face the fence even more, and tighten his ball by that much even. Zim's touch burned Dib so much right now, because it only made him want it more and more, while having to face the fact that he didn't have feelings for Dib.

Was this what this was about? Did Dib have feelings for Zim? Of course he did, but he wasn't gay, was he? Maybe, maybe he was. He couldn't really compare it however cause he had never in his life felt this way about anyone before. Oh! He was such a bad person for liking his best friend! He was dirty, and wrong, and disgusting, and these feelings had to go away!

Zim quickly pulled his hand back, holding in a hiss of pain. No, he didn't want Dib to feel any worse. So... so maybe... maybe Zim should just tell Dib the truth?

"Dib... Dib, is it the kiss, if it is I'm sorry. I just wanted Keef to shut up and... and to see... something."

Zim was presented with a long middle finger being held up for him by the teen who sniffled a lot more, ready to cry some more despite the presence of Zim.

Zim fell back onto his butt, unsure of how to respond to that.

He looked down. He felt even WORSE now! Worse than any other time Dib had been mad at him or he'd hurt Dib. Finally, after what felt like forever Zim finally said, though hesitantly, "I didn't... know that you... liked me."

The teen-human stiffened before he swung his head back to look with wide eyes to Zim. He stared at him for a moment, fully embarrassed. On reflex, Dib pulled himself to Zim only to give him a rough shove and began mouthing and crying and silently ranting, speaking with no voice, trying to get everything from his head and heart out in the open though failing miserably as none of his words came out. Not that it mattered to Dib, he just wanted to go through the process to get his feelings out, whatever they were. Fuck Zim! Fuck Keef! Fuck himself and fuck the world! Finally he mouthed out three highly recognizable words, the complete opposite of love, in total language, squinting his eyes and throwing his arms back as if he was yelling.

Zim's blood pumping organ felt like it was being squeezed painfully, the heart like part of his squeedilly spooch aching at what Dib had just said, the words clear amongst all the pain filled, voiceless ranting. That was it then. He'd ruined his friendship with Dib because of his damned curiosity.

Dib broke down again, the tears streaming down his face as he said a few more mute words. He wiped at the tears but he just couldn't wipe fast enough. They just kept coming, so through all of this pain, through all of this hurt, he threw his arms around Zim and cried on his chest like his heart was aching for him to do. This felt so wrong, so depressing, but it felt like his only way to survive this feeling. Why did Zim have to know something that he even barely understood? He would think of himself as a disgusting germ for now liking his best friend but Zim had just kissed a Keef.

But Zim never kissed Dib but he'd kiss Keef for such a reason... It ached.

Zim tensed. What was Dib doing. Didn't he just say that he hated the alien!? What was he supposed to do!? Despite his unsuredness he wrapped his arms around the human tightly. He wanted Dib to feel better, he really did, whether their friendship was down the toilet or not.

The human clenched his fists and continuously hit it up against Zim's chest, choking back on some soundless sobs. What did he want from the alien? He didn't even know he just wanted to be held forever and let it all blow over.

Zim grimaced a little, his burns were still sore, but he didn't say anything. Whatever made Dib happy, he decided, he would do it.

Dib sniffed, and after a while he pulled away from Zim's chest to look pitifully up into the alien's contract's filled eyes. He wiped one of his own, blushing a bit. He was done crying for now.

"Better?" Zim asked after a moment, moving one of his own hands to help wipe Dib's face, despite how it stung. He felt it was just important for him to do.

Dib quivered but nodded. Through all of this, being close to Zim still seemed to have a good affect on him. Was that also a sign of his liking Zim? Probably.With a fisted hand, Dib rubbed a circle over his heart for sorry.

Zim shook his head, mimicking the action himself, saying, "I'm the one that should be sorry. I didn't know it would hurt you so much."

Dib winced and closed his eyes to let a couple more tears drop. He opened those golden eyes again to look at Zim's shoulder in silence. This hurt just too entirely much! Why did it have to hurt at all? Especially with Zim admitting what went on, it still hurt.

Zim pulled Dib close and hugged him tightly around the shoulders and caught sight of his watch. Oh he was already going to be late for work! But at the moment, he just couldn't bring himself to care. The only thing that mattered to him at that moment was Dib, and keeping any more tears from spilling from his adorable face.

Zim shook his head against Dib's shoulder. No, he couldn't keep thinking like that, not now anyway. Dib... Dib cared for him, like really cared for him. Sure, taking Dib as a pet would be what he told the Almighty one, but that would not be the case, no, he could not think about Dib in that way anymore.

Dib slowly pulled himself up, staring at the floor. He needed to go home, perhaps even away from Zim, but he wasn't sure.

Zim pulled himself up as well, staring at Dib expectantly, expecting him to tell the alien to go away, leave him alone, go to hell, or some other variation thereof. He did, after all, say he hated him.

Dib just instead brushed past Zim, kind of waddling like a penguin as he sniffed some more. He'd have to take the long way around the street to get to his house instead of climbing fences. He was so out of energy now.

Zim sat back down and pulled his knees up to his chest, wondering what to do now. Eventually though he heard the sound of thunder and a scowl crossed his face. He had to get home. So he pulled himself up again and walked quickly home, his eyes down cast.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib: TSI


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter ninteeen OMG! That's almost twenty!

Review!

* * *

"Invader Zim!" Boomed a strong, cool voice on the transmitter as she spotted said invader entering the view of the screen. "Do you have your report?"

Zim jumped, wide eyes turning to the screen. Tallest Miyuki! But why!? Why did she have to call NOW!?

"N-no, My Tallest, I do not." Zim said, bowing low before sitting down on the couch. His whole body ached, with burns and emotional turmoil.

Miyuki stared at Zim long and hard. His entire features seemed different. He didn't look like this proud loud-mouth Zim who'd always stand in such a way that just oozed confidence despite his submissive ways towards herself. Instead, he looked drained, defeated, and warn out.

"Invader Zim, did you somehow _mature _some on this enemy planet to the point your spirit broke?" She asked, somewhat hopeful that was the case so that she could speak to Zim in a more comfortable way as if she wasn't speaking to a child that messed everything up.

Zim blushed a little at what the Tallest had said, maybe he had, maybe he hadn't. "I'm not sure." Zim said, averting his eyes from the floor to his knees. "I'm... on painkillers." He lied, well, it was the truth, but that wasn't why he wasn't sure. He just couldn't tell.

She gave him an even more strenuous look. "Have you learned anything new about the planet? Anything at all, so that I might be able to accept the information and keep it anyhow?"

"Yes," Zim said, antennae twitching. "The human... teenagers... they're very emotional, far too emotional to really figure out, their chemicals rush in strange ways and they... they are so easily hurt and are insecure about every little thing, right down to their sexuality."

Miyuki hummed, keeping her eyes on Zim. "Anything else, Invader Zim?" Her eyes almost seemed to narrow as thoughts circulated through her head.

Zim shook his head. "No, not at the moment, My Tallest." He said, almost ashamed of himself. Almost. He was still much too depressed about Dib not liking him anymore that he couldn't concentrate on any other emotion.

"Nothing you'd like to tell me?" Miyuki asked slowly, giving Zim the momentary benefit of the doubt.

Zim looked up at his Tallest finally, thinking for a moment, wondering if now would be an appropriate time to... No, it wasn't, so he shook his head again, saying, "No, I apologize."

"Alright. Have more information for me next time." Miyuki's eyes down casted. "And then you can tell me what these 'teenagers' are." And with that the screen went black, leaving Zim alone to his thoughts.

Zim stared at the screen for a while after the Tallest's beautiful form left the screen. What was he going to do? Dib hated him, he won't want him to work on his throat now, or take him up into space. What would he do once the invasion was done!? He couldn't exactly force Dib to come with him, no, he'd hurt Dib enough. His eyes moved to the clock above the TV set. He was late for work. His shift had already started.

"SIR," Zim called. "Get me the phone."The small robot came in and held the talking device up for his master, who took it and dialed the number for the hospital and then the extension that would connect his line to Julie's.

"Ello, ello!" Came a familiar womanly voice, very much so different from the kind and beautiful Miyuki.

"Hey Julie, it's Zim," Zim said, and, once more, not in his usual self absorbed or proud tone.

"Zim? Is that really you? You sound... different! Hey, where are you? You were suppose to be here fifteen minutes ago!"

"I'm sorry, I'm not... well." Zim said, the wilt of his antennae almost visible on the other end, that is, if people bothered to notice anything.

"Oh, you calling in sick though? Want me to assign somebody else to your duty for today or tomorrow or something?"

"Yes, please," Zim said before sighing. "I'm really sorry about this, but I'm just... so many things are going on right now."

"Wanna talk about it?" Julie asked with interest. The squeaking of her chair reclining from the lounge audible through the phone.

Zim thought a moment. Maybe Julie could help him out, she was a girl right? And girls were really sensitive to people's feelings soooo...

"What do you do," Zim asked, voice turning anxious. "When you've really hurt someone's feelings, and I mean really hurt them?"

"Say sorry. Duhr! What else?" She laxly stated. "Waaait a minute. What kinda hurt?"

Zim grimaced, this would be really hard for him to explain.

"There's this kid in my class, the same one I have with Dib..." Zim said, voice displaying his dislike of said kid. Zim began to explain his giving Keef attention today, only instead of saying he was doing it because he wanted figure out a chemical reaction he told her that he was checking to see if Dib was jealous, as he suspected based on his recent behavior, and to see how far he could go without Dib reacting really badly. He then told her about the kiss, and then finding Dib crying in the bush.

"He-he hates me now, and I don't know what to do."

Julie hummed. "I see. You really screwed yourself over, didn't you?" She laughed, lightheartedly.

"Shut up, I know." Zim pouted, shaking his head. Geeze, hearing someone else say it out in the open like that just cemented the feeling in his chest.

"Well! Good news is, I don't think he hates you." She said a-matter-of-factly. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have hugged you like you said after all of that. He might just be confused. Not everybody can just figure themselves out that easily after all, Zim."

"But... it's so logical."Zim said, tilting his head up. "How can someone not know?"

Julie shrugged, although she knew he wouldn't be able to see that through the phone. "They may just not know how something like that feels and try to play it off as something else. Like, this one guy I knew- I thought I was like, in LOVE with him, but it turns out just wanting someone for sex isn't love." She laughed at herself for that.

Zim cringed, that's exactly what he thought Dib wanted at first, which is what led up to all of this. "But what do I DO?" Zim asked, obviously distressed by all of this. "How do I make it up to Dib? He hurts enough as it is, he did not need this emotional pain on top of all of this."

"That's your own fault!" Julie snapped back on the phone bluntly. "You know, he could just be wanting to hate you now you know. People can't just change their feelings for others so easily and so quickly. Like this one time my friend Rebecca- I'm getting off topic. Anyway, I think there's still time for you to make it up to him. Just, like, visit him or something. Bring him something he'd like. Be completely truthful with him on everything and ask for forgiveness and then see if he still hates you."

Zim frowned, something Dib liked? What could that b-!An idea came to him and he smiled.

"Thanks Julie! I know exactly what to do!" Instantly he was in a better mood.

"Uh, no problem." Julie said, a little quietly at the great change of moods Zim displayed. "I hope it all works out for you." She said before they hung up with each other.

Zim quickly ran down to the lab, coming up ten minutes later wearing a rain jacket and carrying two boxes. "Sir, guard the house." Zim commanded, quickly running out and making his way to Dib's house.

The moment Dib got home, he went upstairs and just locked himself in his room, not wanting to be bothered by anything ever again.Oh! For the love of all things sci-fi! He was _gay! _Everything he had ever been beaten up for was TRUE! He bet he was even crazy, too! Perhaps he even enjoyed pain! That must be why he never really fought back. It had to be. Dib just wanted to hide his face from the world and never come out of his room again! Surely, his new found feelings for his friend would, not only scare him away, but make things insanely awkward whenever they were around each other. He wouldn't be able to lie down with the other now without it being because he's gay or something.

He didn't hate Zim, though. No, quite the opposite, despite all of this. He just wanted the other to go away and to never see him again. Maybe, that way, without seeing Zim he wouldn't think about Zim and he wouldn't feel the way he did around Zim. He wouldn't be so gay for Zim anymore if he didn't have to be with him.

Zim made it to Dib's house before it started raining, which he was thankful for. He knocked on the door casually before feeling and hearing the tap of a drop falling onto the hood of his coat and he knocked again, this time much more urgently. "DIB!" The boy's sister called from the couch. "GET THE DOOR!"

Dib tossed a shoe at the door in response. He wasn't leaving his spot!

Zim pressed himself against the door as the drops began to come down in a light sheet and his knocking persisted. "Dib!" He called, not wanting to be stuck out in the rain but not wanting to barge in.

"Dib it's for you!" Gaz called up the stairs, a growl in her voice. She didn't like to be ignored.

Dib through his other shoe at his door.

"DIB OPEN UP!" Zim yelled, he was becoming really irritated with this. It may have been easier to just stay at home and feel bad about it until tomorrow. Gaz finally got irritated enough to get up, but she didn't go to the door, she instead walked up the stairs, wanting to lock herself in her room so she didn't hear the knocking. On her way though she stopped at Dib's door and called into it. "I think your alien friend is melting."

Did Gaz seriously know?! Oh, he hoped not! Before he kind of did but- She was right. It was raining! Was Dib DEAF and BLIND as well? He had a window right there!In a rush and in a panic, Dib stumbled off of his bed, wiped dried on tears and left his room to run down stairs and pant by the time he opened the front door.

Zim was pressed so hard against the door that when it suddenly flew open he fell into the house on his side. But that didn't stop him in quickly scrambling the rest of the way in, holding his two boxes closely.

Dib watched him scrambling on the floor a bit, heart fluctuating greatly at his presence, half tempted to asking him what he was doing here, but instead slammed the door shut behind the alien and began his march back to his room. He wasn't suppose to see Zim!

"Th-thanks," Zim said, taking a peak into one of the boxes, not noticing Dib had walked away until he looked up to smile at the human. His smile quickly fell and he pushed himself up, following the human and saying, "D-Dib, I came to apologize, so, please, just wait and listen."

Dib stopped in place, hand having just falling onto the stair rail. His head drooped, but it seemed it's stay for Zim for now.

Zim paused. What did he say now? Oh why didn't he think about it before hand!? He took a deep breath and looked down at the two boxes he held. Would Dib even really like these things?Only one way to find out. "I-I got you... well... made you something... s..."

Dib turned, shooting Zim a hazy glare. What did he think Dib was? Just somebody he could buy off- or in this case make off? He couldn't just forget his feelings for material things.

Zim looked down again when met with Dib's eyes. He felt so stupid then, what was he thinking!? "I-I know, it won't really make up for it... but I am sorry... I just don't know any other way to show it." He held the boxes out, a thin square one on the bottom and a smaller box on top. "Please don't hate me anymore."

Dib stared at the alien, his expression softening as he took the boxes. He walked right past Zim again to sit on the couch, debating on opening the gifts or not.

Zim moved over to sit next to the couch, kneeling so his head was resting in his arms which were resting on the arm of the couch and he couldn't help but fidget nervously.

_'Please let Dib like them.'_ He silently prayed.

Dib held up the smaller box first, and slowly and nervously as Zim was still so near him began opening it, trying not to show his curiosity as he did so, and dropped the something into his hand.

The two somethings. The first to land in Dib's hand looked like a small clipboard, only with an electronic screen and pen. The screen was off now.

The second thing to pop out was a watch. A very simple looking watch.

Dib stared at the items and set them down in his lap as his eyes just briefly scanned them before he looked back up to Zim. He looked more concerned at the other than anything else.

"You'll need that," Zim said, tapping the watch, blushing slightly, feeling like the poor kid at the birthday party who couldn't get their friend anything really nice and everyone else got the friend awesome, expensive birthday presents. "If you still want to come over to my house that is... if you don't walk through the door with me then the security might try to fire on you."

He then tapped the screen, saying, "It's... kind like a mini computer... I programmed it so it can help you learn how to read Irken."

Dib didn't look back at the gifts, but rather just kept his eyes on Zim. He set the two aside on the couch before he sat now indian style facing Zim, debating within himself what he was now allowed or not allowed to do around his friend. Like, was he still going to even let himself hug Zim in thanks? He felt so confused.

Zim wilted slightly as that was the only reaction. He knew he should have just gone out and bought Dib something really nice. Tallest knew he had the money as he never bough any Earth food other than snacks, didn't need to pay for gas, and didn't need to pay for clothes or rent! "I-I made you a pizza too." Zim said, looking down. "You... seemed to like it yesterday... so I made you one."

Without another second to spare, Dib propelled himself to Zim, wrapping his arms around the other. Yeah, he was really failing at this 'avoid Zim' thing.

Zim almost stopped breathing at the hug. He was sure Dib would never forgive him and he would be alone until his mission was completed, and when he first got to Earth that would not have mattered to Zim, in fact, the old Zim would have preferred it that way, but this Zim needed company, needed affection and someone to be affectionate to. This Zim needed Dib. Though he didn't let himself get carried away as he hugged Dib back. A hug does not equal forgiveness.

Dib pulled himself away from Zim to stare down at the items on the couch. He picked up the watch and snapped it on around his wrist, staring at it dully as he was still in a drained out mood. Did this mean Zim wanted him over at his house? Giving this kind of meant he trusted Dib with coming through the door without Zim there, so he was practically giving trust at him.

_"Why?"_ Dib signed weakly to Zim, not particularly caring which 'why' he was referring to as long as Zim gave him an answer at least.

"Because I don't want you to hate me anymore." Zim said, shaking his head. "And... I don't think I could complete my mission... if you weren't going to come with me afterwards."

He paused a moment before deciding he would try to explain the kiss again. "I don't like Keef, ok, I hate him, he's an annoying little pest. I was just doing all of this because you seemed to get jealous when I give him any sort of attention... but I didn't... I wanted to make sure that's what it was... I didn't want to wrong idea running around in my head. And the kiss, that was just to shut him up. I couldn't just tell him to get lost because then you would have caught on to what I was doing and I wasn't sure yet... and I didn't want you to think I was just being mean."

Dib lowered his head, unsure as to how he'd take this information. It gave him some sort of hope, that he knew immediately was probably false hope. _"Do you need me?"_ He needed Zim it seemed.

"I need you to be with me." Zim said, grasping Dib's shirt. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

Dib blushed. Did Zim have any idea what he was saying to Dib and how it sounded? He rose his hands to Zim's claws. It sounded as if he liked Dib and being rejected rather than the other way around. _"You like me?"_

Zim had to actually think about that for a moment, unsure of what Dib meant by 'like'. But he decided not to question it and just nodded, saying, "I do."

Dib gasped, his eyes going wide and his cheeks going even more red. Zim liked him! Zim liked him! He knew the whole time Dib had liked him, and Zim probably liked him back this whole time anyway, and was just testing Dib's feelings because he liked him and was too scared to say his feelings- especially when he knew Dib probably didn't even know his own feelings! Oh, that Zim was so empathetic and sensitive, he just had no idea!This was exactly what he needed at the moment, though he didn't know at all how to respond, so he just sat there blushing like mad and letting his heart lift ten folds from it's previous sunken state.

Zim blinked, his antennae twitching like made. Those two little words, just two, tiny words, three letters, two syllables, cause such a reaction in Dib's body, and it made his antennae tingle and he heart beat so much quicker, it was astounding.

Dib glanced around nervously, not knowing exactly what one does at this point of a relationship; the start. _"What now?"_

Zim looked around a moment, looking for the answer among science and paranormal magazines and game guides. "Pizza?" He offered, pointing to the thin box.

Dib smiled and took the box, opening it to get his pizza. Maybe things would be alright for now on after all. Dib could handle being gay, right? It wasn't that big of a deal; in the end, the results were the same anyway.

* * *

Zim/Gaz: Me

Dib: TSI


	20. Chapter 20

Sorry about hte lack of updateyness guys. Both TSI and myself have had a lot on our plate lately and have not been feeling teh writing or the updateyness like we usually would. So updates have gone from every Monday and Friday to... whenever we happen to update. I'm sorry, but too much has been going on to keep a system going.

Same goes for Sri, for those of you following it.

Also, I would like to note that TSI and I already know that Dib and Zim are OOC. That's the POINT of AU (alternate universe). Zim is not a defective now, that's why the Tallest gave him an actual mission, and the reason Miyuki is Tallest in the first place. Because Zim never got the chance to accidently kill her cause he was smart.

As for Dib, he's been bullied, mentally and physically, his whole life, negelected by his father, and had throat cancer. He's not gonna be the same Dib that you see in the show. He's older nad been dealing with it longer.

So, we know, they're both OOC, that's the whole point, but we like it, and if you don't then just don't say anything. We don't need you being rude to us. It's not nice and ruins the fun for us.

* * *

Zim leaned against Dib and let the human lean against him as they shared the last few pieces of cheesy pizza. The TV was on some kind of scary movie and the paranormal channel and Zim shook his head, asking, "I don't get it, why doesn't the creature simply bite their heads off?"

Dib snickered before _shh_ing Zim. He took a bite and snuggled up closer to Zim. Zim was warm, so very warm. It brought a smile to Dib's face as he bit off the last bit of pizza crust, taking Zim's arm in his own, claiming it as his once more.

Zim gave Dib a pout before finishing off his slice of pizza. But once that was done he wrapped his arms around the human, cuddling closely.

That's right; Zim wanted Dib. And thus, for the first time ever, Dib felt as though he belonged, even if it was belonging to Zim. The human shut his golden eyes as he relaxed and began tangling his legs with Zim's. He nuzzled here and there, ignoring the movie now.

Zim gripped Dib to himself tightly. He enjoyed this feeling, so much, he wondered why he had never felt it before. He looked at the clock, it was late, or getting there, but it was still raining. How was he going to get home?

Dib looked up to Zim, smiling softly as the TV's light blared across both of their faces and bodies so curled up. _"I want to sleep with you tonight."_

"Hm," Zim hummed, barely catching Dib's signing. "You want me to spend the night?" Zim asked, slightly hopeful.

Dib smiled more and nodded, rubbing the side of his head up against Zim's shoulder like a cat or something related.

Zim smiled and nuzzled Dib's head. "Thanks," He said, sighing happily.

Dib waved Zim off while snuggling the alien more, to show that it really was fine. He sighed. This is great as is.

Zim smiled as he watched the rest of the movie, cackling as the creature did just as he said, chewing on the head of the lead male.

The human stood up and walked over to the TV set, where he opened a space under the screen to pull out a game system. He held up a random game into the air to show Zim with a smile on his face. An offer if the other would like to play.

Zim smiled and was about to answer when the voice of the very angry female resident of the house called out, "STAY AWAY FROM MY STUFF DIB!"

Dib dropped the game. How did she know?! She had to be psychic. In a panic, Dib, disregarding Zim, put the game and game system away to run back to the couch in fear of his little sister.

Zim blinked up in the direction the voice, looking up the stairs oddly. How did she DO that?Carefully Zim wrapped his arms around the human next to him protectively.

Dib soon felt better, and his cheeks reddened again. Being in Zim's arms was like being in paradise, and nobody could take that away from him. _Especially_his sister. Unless, of course, she decides to make such affairs her business, but even still she couldn't rip his feelings from Zim.

Zim smiled, yes, this was nice. This was more than nice, this was perfect, and he couldn't wait to experience this while floating through the blackness of space. No fathers, no sisters, no Tallests, no anyone else, just Zim, Dib, and all the time they would ever need.

It was getting warm between the two. Their body heat pushed and pulled and mingled together, making both human and alien warmer added onto their shared perfect feeling. Dib outreached an arm around Zim's neck, and with his other, stretched his long spiderlike fingers across his back, feeling the texture of Zim's shirt around his PAK.

"It's getting late." Zim pointed out as the credits rolled. "You wanna head up to you room?"

Dib, unsatisfied he'd have to move and let go of his perfect touches with Zim pouted. He knew it was best, though so he sighed and pulled from the other, taking his claws in his hands as he stood off of the couch.

Zim stood up and for a while, he just stood there smiling at the human, his human.

Dib lead Zim upstairs, past his sister's room, and through his door as they walked into his room. Dib went to his closet and began rummaging through his clothes to find something for himself and, perhaps something large enough for Zim to wear, too.

Zim plopped himself down on the bed. He watched Dib for a while before asking, "Are we sharing a bed or do you want me to sleep on the floor?"

Dib looked back to Zim with another blush prolonged by his modesty. He had assumed that was an obvious answer, but not wanting to push his luck, he decided not to answer Zim at all. He went back to his closet and pulled out space pajamas for himself. Unfortunately he had nothing in Zim's size.Dib once again turned towards Zim and signed. _"You're too big for my pajamas."_

"It's fine." Zim said with a shrug. "I'll just sleep in my clothes, no big deal."

Dib smiled grateful for Zim's understanding and quietly left the room to get ready for bed, leaving Zim alone.

Zim looked around a little bit before pulling off his boots then brought his feet up under him, cold now that they were revealed. This would be great, a sleep over with Dib! Though he would need to keep his disguise on since there were other humans living in the house.

Dib came back into the room wearing his dark blue pajamas with UFOs all over it. He walked back up to his bed and plopped down next to Zim, smiling sweetly, almost expectantly.

Zim stared at Dib a moment before a wide smirk crossed his face and, without warning, he pounced on top of Dib, pinning him to the bed and shouting, "Ha! Now who's on top, puny hyOOman!?"

Dib stared with wide eyes at Zim, blushing harder than before. What did Zim think he was doing?! No alien was going to claim dominance on Dib and get away with it! So, against every bit of instinct telling Dib to stay as is, the teen struggled and squirmed under Zim.

Zim cackled, putting his forehead against Dib's."What's wrong, Dib?" The alien asked. "Don't like being on bottom?"

Dib gave a great pout. He could feel every blood cell in his body rushing through his veins. And Zim was right there! Their faces were so close together, that it only forced more blood to pump through faster.The human brought his leg up, now attempting to use it to shove Zim off by his hip, to free Dib from his infuriating embarrassing grasp.

Zim laughed once more. This was just too amusing. For once he was the one to force the Dib onto his back instead of the other way around. But he decided to give Dib his freedom back so he sat up, letting the human go, but a smug smile on his face

Dib scowled the alien as he sat back up, clutching his heart as if to calm it down. The _jerk._ Keeping his eyes on the other the whole time like a lion after its prey, The human did the very same thing Zim had done to him after timing it right. Pouncing onto Zim, he pushed him back and sat on his stomach, his pout leaving for his own little smirk in exchange.

"Ah- hey!" Zim shouted, pouting at the human in a very similar way the human had to him.

Dib sat back on Zim, resting his arms lazily on his knees as he peered down winningly at the other.

_Another victory for Earth!_

"Hey, get off." Zim said, poking Dib's hip as if trying to move him.

Dib gave a doubtful smile and bent down lower on Zim, only to show up the alien.

"Diiiiib," Zim whined. Why did this ALWAYS happen?

Ha! And thus Dib won! He couldn't fight back Dib like he could Zim. _"What now?"_ Dib teased Zim with his hands, grinning quite satisfied with himself.

"This," Zim said, quickly pulling the human up against him so he could roll them both over on the bed, grinning when he was once more on top. "Take that!"

Caught off guard, Dib brought his feet to Zim's hips as he also tried to just push the alien off by his shoulders. Dib didn't like losing, or being caught bottom!

That's when Gaz decided she had had enough of the commotion and kicked Dib's door open, despite it's state of un lock. "Dib!" She yelled, pausing a moment when she noticed the position the two were in, which only took her off guard for about two seconds before she scowled again. "I don't care HOW gay you act in here, just do it QUIETLY!"

Panicking with a fully red face, Dib signed, _"But I'm not making a noise!"_ forgetting in his state of embarrassment that Gaz didn't know sign.

Gaz just stared at her brother a moment before shaking her head and muttering a 'fruit loop' before slamming the door shut.

Dib let his body completely drop under Zim, now getting dizzy by the amount of blood rushing to his head. Oh, this was the worse! Now even Gaz knew, and he had only known himself for less than a day! Oh, and this probably looked so wrong, too! What was he going to do, what was he going to do, what was he-

Zim stared down at Dib, his antennae twitching. "Why are you so worried all the time about what people think of you?" He asked, despite the fact he cared very much as well, just not about what the humans thought, but what his Tallest thought.

Dib switched his view, from the closed door up to Zim. He shook his head, denial that that was indeed the case. _"I __don't_ He signed, but still feeling insanely embarrassed.

"Then how come you blush or get upset every time someone says something?" Zim asked, leaning down to put his forehead to Dib's once more.

Dib stared blankly, a bit ashamed of himself. He didn't know. He just did... He was too unsure of himself, and thus wrapped his arms around Zim for some sort of comfort.

Zim was a bit surprised at this but hugged back, rubbing the boy's side to comfort him.

That's when the alien was met with a Dib to the lips, and their chests pressed together.

Zim's eyes widened. The human- Dib- he was kissing Zim! Lips pressed to lips in a way 'just friends' didn't do! It took all of what Zim had to not yank away in surprise, knowing that would probably hurt Dib, but he couldn't press back into the kiss either.He did manage to calm himself down though, make himself seem not so nervous. To Dib, kisses meant something, something wonderful, and Zim was willing to accept it, though not return it. When he had kissed Keef, that just meant 'shut up', which now, made him feel kind of bad, as Keef had accepted it, and felt something other than what Zim had meant, and if what Keef felt was anything like what Zim felt, then he was in for some MAJOR heart break.

Dib pulled from the kiss to instantly hug Zim in a tight hug. That wasn't exactly how he thought his first kiss would feel like. Sure it had the tingly affect that just touching Zim did to him, but it felt like kissing rubber. Zim hadn't responded, that was it, but that was okay anyhow. He was an alien, he probably didn't get the whole kissing thing, although he had kissed Keef. Surely they'd have more time to practice with one another.Dib smiled in content with Zim in his hold. It was good enough to be a perfect kiss.

Zim hugged back once again, much more comfortable now that Dib wasn't breathing his every feeling into the alien through their lips. It made his irken heart speed up almost uncomfortably, a blush to spread across his face, and he felt like a million eyes had been on him, though Dib and himself were the only ones there. There was a word for this feeling, but he didn't know what it was, just knew that it had a name.

The human hands on Zim's back stroked the person in his arms gently, much like Zim would stroke Dib's side. Contentness; that's how he was feeling at the moment.

Zim, using his mighty, alien strength, picked Dib up, off the bed, and leaned back, so the human was resting on top of him, and his head was resting on the pillow."Rest now," The alien spoke, nuzzling the human. "And next time we have a sleep over, it's at my house."

* * *

"Invader Zim!" The beautiful, dark, silky voice of Tallest Miyuki excitedly called from the transmission Zim had turned on not a week after the 'kiss'. "I assume by your calling me that you have some good information on your planet?" She calmly stroked her head, pulling back a curly antenna threatening to twitch from the annoyance of the call before Zim's.

Zim looked down. What HAD he called his Tallest for again? Oh yes. "Well, I have information." The red eyed Irken said, looking down at a screen in his hands. "Th-the human life span, it seems, is very short. Already, those we would consider smeets are already several times more developed than those on our planet."

Miyuki's expression dropped. "Invader Zim... You've been on this mission for two irk months now. You've been working in that 'medical phesility' for over half that time. I sure hope you know their life span after working in a place like that for a while. Why haven't you given me such knowledge before?" The taller Irken frowned sadly at the other. "That won't help your mission much anyway other than slave information, but that's after the planet's capture."

Zim's face turned a little worried. That was WHY he hadn't told her before. It had no standing in anything that had to do with the invasion of this planet. "Th-they... they bare young... instead of bioengineering it... like we do." Zim tried. There must be SOMETHING he could give his Tallest!

Tallest Miyuki sighed heavily. Zim could take over this puny planet. She knows, she, herself, had seen him in training. She had picked him out special for this planet herself. She knew his limits and his ambitions and was trying so hard to be patient with his lack of work, but it isn't working. "Zim, have you made yourself a home on this planet that I'm sure you intend on capturing alongside the armada?"

Zim blinked at his Tallest. This question confused Zim, of course he had made himself a home on the planet, he had to in order to blend in. And of course he was going to conquer it. It would be done! "I don't... understand. Yes, I have made myself a living space." He said, giving his tallest an odd look.

Miyuki shook her head lightly. "No, living space is one thing, Zim but... where is your alliance?" She frowned. She really didn't want to test Zim like this, but she had to know where his heart and soul was. In the mission or on this planet?

Zim's eyes widened. She was... she was questioning his loyalties, again, but this time it seemed so much more serious. "My alliance has and always will be with you, and the empire, My Tallest." Zim said, voice tinged with desperation. She MUST know this already. "I'm a good invader, I can do this! I WILL do this!"

Miyuki sighed again. "I know you're a good invader, Zim. That's how I know you're holding back information." Her voice ran coolly, slightly disappointed with the smaller, yet growing Irken. "Give me something- ANYTHING! Just one thing that will help get this planet of yours captured! For if you don't, Invader Zim, I'll have to resign you and leave you on this planet as one of its inhabitants to be taken over when the armada gets to it. I'll have you replaced with another worthy invader, and we'll go from there, but you will get no credit, and whatever fates of these 'humans', you speak of, is your fate as well." She paused, watching Zim's reaction. "Just please, _please, _give me some noteworthy information! This is your last chance!"

Zim's eyes widened further. An ultimatum. Why? Why couldn't he just have more time!? Quickly he looked through the tablet in his hands. There must be something! Some sort of key information he could give the Tallest, something that would seal the deal, show the Tallest he was the right invader for the job! There! That must be something. "A-a weak point!" He said quickly. "Their- their nations are divided! The humans are ruled under many different leaders instead of one! And their alliances are faulty. It's so easy for them to offend each other and start wars! There for they are weak to outside forces!" He looked through his information again. "They are all rather stupid, and easily fear that which they do not understand."

Miyuki closed her eyes, running through random plans in her head before she opened them again and smiled back at Zim with much relief. "See, Invader Zim, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Zim let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding before smiling at his Tallest, also relieved."N-no, My Tallest." He said, about ready to pass out.

"Well then. I hope to see you around soon." And with that, Miyuki smiled and turned off the transmition.

Zim sighed and let his now jelly legs fail and he dropped to the couch. What was the Tallest's plan for this filth ball. Obviously she now had one, from the look on her face. Maybe, maybe it would be a good idea to keep Dib even closer now, just in case?

It was that very moment a very rude fourteen-year-old barged into Zim's base, all thanks to the alien's brilliant trusty watch.The wide eyed boy smiled joyfully at the said jello alien flopped over the couch and ran to him after waving, of course.

Zim jumped, feeling like a small electric current ran through him, only without the pain and the smell of burning flesh. He regretted that watch slightly, but only because if Dib had walked in any sooner he would have had a lot of explaining to do, to Dib and his leader both, the latter of which might have commanded Zim to do some very horrible things to the human for finding out for finding out their secret, despite the fact (unknown to Miyuki) that Dib already knew. "H-hey Dib," Zim said, shaking the irken off his tongue in favor of English. "I see you're take full advantage of my gift." He gave the human a small smile.

Dib smiled brightly and gave an abrupt nod, signing for thank you. He spun around in a full circle before plopping down right next to Zim on the couch, giving him a curiously happy smile, his backpack strapped to his back.

"So what's going on?" Zim asked, eyeing Dib with a little more curiosity than he originally intended on showing, the talk with the Tallest hanging in the back of his mind like a string in front of a cat, putting him a little more on edge than he would have normally been.

Dib held a finger to make Zim a little more patient as he swung his backpack around to his front, and unzipped it to dig deep inside for its treasures.Out of his backpack came a slip of paper. One of which, he held behind him to tease Zim.

Zim blinked before his eyes grew somewhat wide in his interest to know what the importance of the paper was. Oh and Dib teasing him with it only made his interest rise and he leaned over, trying to get a good look at it while asking, "What is that? What's on it?" Oh yes, the paper was doing wonders in pushing his leader out from his thoughts.

Dib shook his head, swinging his mischievous strand of hair back and forth in doing so. His grin only widened at Zim's needing to know.

Zim's lips pursed as he continued to stare at the paper before turning a pout to Dib and asking, "Why not? What is it!?"

Proudly, and sticking his nose up in the air to show his almighty importance, Dib pulled the paper from behind his back to show Zim.It was a simple drawing, which must not have seemed so simple to Dib at the time he had drawn it. It was Dib's cartoon version of himself with Zim, holding hands, and above them were countless UFO's. Behind them were faceless people and aliens. The human hadn't put all that much effort in drawing them like he did him and Zim. But, what Zim found was odd, was that they were all in unison. Here these aliens, these irkens were on earth, _with _the humans, and there was just over all contentment.

Zim studied the paper curiously, he wasn't much one for art, as it was something he was unfamiliar with growing up under Irk, but he took care to note every detail and gave Dib a smile, saying, "It looks great Dib, when did you draw this?"

_"Just now."_ Dib signed, seemingly agreeing with himself as he nodded.

Zim gave Dib a wider smile, wishing he could just tell Dib what was happening, a small squeeze in his chest just making that feeling grow. But he knew he had to keep his mouth shut, especially now that The Tallest seemed to be plotting if not already organizing something.

_"What's wrong?"_ Dib signed to Zim, still with his own smile on his face. Despite how happy Zim's smile seemed to be, his eyes drifted as if his mind did, as well.

Zim blinked rather slowly and turned his face back to Dib, he then took a deep breath. He had to tell Dib _something_, anything to prepare him. So finally he decided on a partial truth and looked Dib straight in the eyes, saying, "Remember how I told you... when my mission was over with... I would have to leave?"

Dib's smile dropped, and he gave a very slow nod, beginning to fret over the possible answers Zim could tell him.

"Well... that time might be soon... do you still..." The alien sighed and moved a hand to take one of Dib's own, asking, "D-do you still want to go with me?"

There was something just so unsettling about Zim's actions at the moment, and his mood, as well. The human gave a reassuring nod, scooting closer to his alien and resting his head on his shoulder to let him know he would stick with him for as long as he could.

Zim, in a sudden moment of possessiveness, hugged Dib close, his heart wrenching a little."Are you sure?" He asked. "You're sure you wouldn't mind leaving your family behind? Your whole planet?"

In truths, Dib hadn't really thought it all the way through. That was right! He's be leaving everything! All, just for this one.. single..No, it must be better this way. A life of adventure in space with a best friend to be happy with, and to kiss, and to be together with nothing wrong... that would be great. He didn't need his dad or his sister in that case. He would be fine. Wouldn't he?The younger teenager nodded against the chest provided by the alien and wrapped his arms around to hold tightly back, petting Zim's back to try to calm him down from his worries.

Zim shivered a little, one pet coming much too close to Zim's pak and sensitive skin just around it, but he hugged Dib tighter and nuzzled him, saying, "Good, good, I'm glad."

Dib gave a final tight squeeze before departing to sign to his best friend. _"You scared?"_

"About what?" Zim asked, signing back as well, feeling the need to use it more and more suddenly.

_"Leaving."_ Dib signed, keeping his golden sunset eyes on Zim's trying to decipher any unsettledness in him.

Zim gave a small smile and shook his head, saying, "No, I'm not, not about leaving, because when my mission is over I can retire and come back whenever I want. But until then I can't go anywhere, I'm stuck here until I'm told I can leave." He made sure to sign carefully and clearly as he spoke.

_"What is your mission?" _Dib asked in sign, trying to figure out something Zim must be upset about.

Zim stared at Dib for a while, debating on the pros and cons of telling Dib, and after ten seconds the cons outweighed the pros, by several tons.So the alien shook his head and smiling apologetically at the human, saying, "I'm sorry, I can't tell you, I'm not allowed."

Dib laid out a heavy sigh, upset that he wouldn't be told. _"Is it what's making you nervous?"_

"... That's part of it..." Zim admitted with much hesitation. "That's actually a great part of it."

Dib's eyes fell, and he felt a strange sadness crawl over him as his hands locked onto each other in his lap, letting him sit and think it out. It could not be good if Zim was nervous. This worried Dib in exchange.

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REVIEW PLEASE!

Zim/ Gaz: Me

Dib/Miyuki: TSI


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry this has taken so long to update! Kriss and I kinda fell into a little slump for a while and then had to go back and re-rp parts to make the ending make more sense! But we've got everything nice and written out, and we'll be posting as much as possible!

Be kind, review!

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Zim's eyes shifted around a bit before landing on Dib's hands, then crawling up his arms to his shoulders, then neck, then face. He leaned forward, his head landing on Dib's though not painfully so, just a small knock and he was staring into Dib's eyes.

"I pretty much know what's wrong with your throat now." He said quietly, feeling no need to use his whole voice while so close to Dib. "I might not be able to fix it or heal it or whatever, but I know what's wrong with it."

Silence. Stranger than usual just silence. Dib blinked up at Zim, his whole body feeling tingly now for so many reasons. He turned his head, just barely to get a better look back at Zim. He mouthed the word _what_ as he felt his ever so trusting hands leave their spot on his lap to trace up to Zim's neck to tie behind.

"The tears in your throat," Zim explained, looking down and away from Dib's eyes to better concentrate on the simple facts. "They caused these odd grooves in your throat. It's messing up the flow of air that allows you to create noise and form words with the sounds. That's why you can still speak when you force yourself, but doing so causes the flow of air to damage your throat even more."

He paused to scrunch up his face as he thought for a moment. "I don't know yet if there's a way to heal it or fix it, because, like I said before, I'm no medic drone, I wasn't trained to fix. I could make a kind of armor plating for your throat, but that would distort the sound and I wouldn't know how to get it out in case the tissue or muscle around it ever got damaged."

Dib watched the other carefully, trying his best, and doing a good job at it, to not get excited. The last thing he wanted to do was to get too excited over a thing that could never be done. Of course, he was content not being able to speak now. People at school seemed to harass him less because of it, but he would still like to speak to his Zim.

Dib let his eyelids go half closed as he pushed himself a little closer to Zim, to give him a kiss of appreciation.

Zim blinked a few times at the kiss, confused by the act greatly. Touching lips to show affection, deep affection. It wasn't something irkens did, not that most of them ever had cause to, but still, the farthest they ever went was holding hands, but that was more for possessive reasoning's than affectionate. Much like a wedding ring only a less permanent of a statement.

But, he couldn't say Dib wasn't the cutest thing in the entire universe when he did it, because he was. And so he gave Dib a small kiss in reply, more like saying 'hello' to a passing friend in the school hall ways after a greeting, very little meaning to it, but if it made Dib happy then he would be willing to do anything.

And it's not like he didn't like showing affection to the human, because he did, very much so.

Dib sighed and took Zim into a hug, nuzzling into his shoulder as he melted over every feeling being thrown at him at that present moment. Which was a lot, by the way. He has no clue how to take things right now. Happy, mad, sad, scared, excited; pretty much, it was whatever Zim would tell him to feel.

Zim sighed and nuzzled the side of Dib's head, holding the human close, close enough to the point where he was pulling Dib into his lap.

Things felt so warm right now. Dib drew tiny circles with his finger on Zim's chest. He planted tiny kisses here and there on the Irken chest, just letting the feeling rush over him of feeling needed and to be kissing the one he felt so many things for.

Zim shifted uncomfortably. So much attention, so much good attention. It made his face flush and his antennae twitch with that foreign feeling, something between lust and affection, he felt from the human in his arms. It made his antennae tingle and his irken heart equivalent pump blood much more quickly than was normal, making him blush all the more. The heat from that blush rose to his antennae, making them hot and just all the more sensitive to the tingles and the feelings. It was a cycle that was making his head spin and his chest ache and at the moment all that was unwanted so he moved his hands to Dib's shoulders pushing him back a little.

Dib blinked up at Zim in confusion, but tried to move back down for more kisses on Zim's cheek.

"W-wait," Zim said, his blush raising a little as he quickly tried to think of some excuse to get Dib to stop kissing him without making the human feel bad. "Wo-wouldn't you like to go down to the med lab, I could start work on your throat."

Dib watched and nodded slightly, still keeping his lips pursed in kissing readiness as he just nested himself better in Zim's lap. He felt just a bit confused.

"Ok, let's go." Zim said with a smile, wrapping his arms lower around Dib as he stood, carrying the human with strength his thin limbs didn't appear to posses.

Dib stared up at his carrier's eyes, not knowing what to make of this. He brought his arms around to in between them. _"Can you do this?"_

Zim blinked at Dib a moment before saying, "Well, I don't want to actually do anything until I'm absolutely sure it will work, so I'm going to run a bunch of tests first, if that's ok with you."

Dib nodded and before he knew it, he was being taken back to Zim's lab for examination. He held a tight grip around Zim's neck as they went. It felt so odd being carried by Zim again. It reminded him of being back in the hospital with Zim as his nurse, and how he took care of him no matter how much of a jaded brat Dib was being.

Zim decided, making his way down to the lift under the refrigerator, that he liked carrying Dib. He wasn't too heavy, but just heavy enough to where it felt like a comfortably weight, just the right amount of trust and need. The human trusted Zim not to drop him and needed the alien to carry him because his feet weren't touching the ground. In the alien's mind it made perfect sense, but he was sure if he tried to explain it to Dib he would just stare at him curiously before shaking his head to dislodge the brain melting madness from his thoughts.

Dib was comfortable as was, and didn't seem half amazed as he did when he first came into the lab. The second time was still mind blowing, but to a much smaller degree than it had been before.

They walked in together, but Dib didn't seem to want to let go of Zim when it seemed time to drop.

Zim put his hands on Dib's rear to properly hoist him up onto the bed which was a little above waist level, so hoisting was required, but like Dib, he didn't want to let go of the human. His base seemed exceptionally cold to him that day and Dib was just so warm and sunny it was like having a can of sunshine you could open whenever you want.

As Dib allowed himself to be set down on the table before Zim, his arms still tied around the alien's neck, he couldn't help but immediately try to shove his blush down at feeling Zim's innocent enough claws brushing past his butt. Suddenly, air seemed to come at short supply, but he tried to play it off as nervousness for getting looked over by the lab's computer again.

After a soft hug Zim forced his arms away from Dib as much as he wanted to hang on. But there was work to do! So he moved to a drawer and pulled out a purple device that looked very much like one of those magnetized drawing boards most kids get for their second birthday to doodle on.

The alien attacked a wire from the device to the computer and walked back over to Dib, saying, "I want to get a better look at those grooves in your throat."

The human nodded, and aligned himself better against the table as he watched Zim carefully.

Zim put the device in front of Dib's throat and flipped a switch, the screen lit up and Zim twisted a knob on the screen a few times before he got a clear look at the scars, like he had opened Dib's throat up and shined a bright light in there.

"It doesn't look that bad." Zim commented. "I'm sure, with time, those scars would heal on their own." He then paused with a hum before going on. "But I'm sure I could mix a little something up to make them heal faster."

Dib smiled carefully, excitement finally building its way up in his chest at the very thought that soon, maybe, he'd be able to be fixed and not fear making a noise if he had to. All because of Zim. He reached over and took hold of Zim's hand affectionately for a thanks.

Zim smiled and set the scanner aside, gripping Dib's hand on his with both of his own, saying, "I'm not sure exactly if I can make this medicine to heal your throat, but all scars fade eventually, or at least smooth over. So when way or another you will be talking again eventually."

Dib pulled himself up and threw his other arm around Zim, greatly relieved by his findings that normal human machines could never do.

The human gave Zim yet _another _kiss on the cheek before he hugged back again. Oh, if only Zim knew how much Dib cared for him, especially at this moment! Or rather, little did Dib know that Zim knew exactly how much Dib cared.

Zim moved one of his hands to hug Dib back, his antennae twitching when the tingling came back, but it wasn't as stifling this time, so he ignored it and just hugged Dib with a smile. "I can't wait to hear your voice."

Dib sighed. That sounded so nice to hear.

All this time, nobody wanted to hear his voice, and all of a sudden, someone does; someone he actually wanted to speak to. It was a mutual voice want. That.. felt nice.

Zim became a little worried as his thoughts began leading off and drifting, from Dib's voice, to how he would work on this miracle scar healer if they leave before it's finished, to how he would get Dib away during the invasion.

"Dib, I want you to listen to me, ok?" The alien said sternly but with a hint of worry underneath.

Dib pulled away from Zim to once again stare at his intense sunset eyes, giving a slight nod for the importance he heard through Zim's voice.

"I don't know yet," He paused to take a breath, wondering just how to word this. "How my mission will end. The Tallest, ultimately, will make that decision or is making it now. But, if anything happens, like, something bad or strange, come straight here, ok? Don't think or do anything other than come straight here. Ok?"

Dib gave a strange look Zim's way and decided this time would be the best to sign. _"Something I should be worried about?"_

"Maybe," Zim said with a small smile to mask his own worry, worry that his human may get hurt in the cross fire, but surely his beloved Tallest would tell him when the invasion starts so he could get out before anything too terribly life threatening happens, right, so," Probably not, I mean, because I'm here, you know, so there's really probably nothing to worry about... but just in case, alright?"

Dib nodded, but more like it was a duty. He was getting a bad feeling about this, deep down inside, about Zim's mission. In the back of his mind, a red flag was appearing, but he wanted that red flag to just disappear and not exist at all, but it didn't help the dreaded feeling at all.

Zim wrapped both his arms around Dib, holding him tight. He didn't want anything to happen to his Dib, and nothing ever would if he had anything to say in the matter.

Dib rested his head on Zim's chest, ready for this feeling to just die over.

* * *

The tree tops whistled together, scratching the rushing wind passing by with their sharp, pointed branches. Birds sang their songs, weaving in and out the obstacles obstructing their way. The sky was the most fulfilling blue that could ever envelope a human's simple heart. It was great, Dib thought as he walked his way towards his learning passivity with almost a skip to his step. It was great, and he knew this. It was great because Dib was in love with the coolest, most caring alien in the entire world- no- universe! Those mean bullies had stopped picking on him, and he was almost seemingly getting more respect from everyone now, even if at times it seemed just for pity, or as though it was Zim they were really trying to get at.

No, the morning bugs chirped, and the air smelt pleasantly of that strange time between winter and spring when everything was being reborn again, and all was a light green in nature. He was happy. Even the buzz of the other teenagers up at the entrance way couldn't even bring him back down to reality, because for Dib, this _was _the perfect reality.

He stood there and waited for his Zim to show up. Smiling brightly, he just waited, and waited, rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet, ignoring the glances of those who pointed and smirked, whispering secrets of Dib-like-things. This was going to be a fantastic day, he could _feel _it.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Zim's lap dog, Dibbers." The familiar voice of a certain popular blonde said, her and her friends making their way to Dib. Her perfectly manicured hand was on her hip in a show of superiority, the other holding her designer hand bag over her shoulder. It was obvious she'd just got done doing her make up as all of it was still very bright and she smelled of fresh perfume.

Her friends laughed in that way girls did, that heart piercing one that could emasculate even the strongest of men. "Where's your boyfriend now?"

Dib seemed to almost falter, his nose twisting up with discontent at the smell of chemically-created rose scents. With a pinch of his brows, and an almost intimidated smile, Dib brought a meek hand up and waved at Jennifer, the leader of the girl group before him. It didn't last long before his hand found its way back to his side, and he lowered his head to secretly wonder the same question.

"Oh look," one of the lackeys behind her, Amanda, grinned and giggled. "The Dibbles is blushing! See, see? Isn't that simply _adorable_ in a pathetic play-thing sort of way?" Her glossy pink lips turned up in a playfully dark smirk.

"Aw, is he not coming today?" Jennifer asked, moving to stand right in front of him, her perfume wafting strongly in the air and her friends got in on either side of him. They had him trapped like a scared puppy against the wall. "That's too bad. I had hoped to see him today" Her smirk almost split her face.

"Me too," Stacey play pouted, her own purple colored lips pursing. "Maybe you can make us feel better Dibby."

The teenage boy seemed to feeling really hot now, shrinking in his place, the rough brick wall sticking to his loose black trench coat his mother had given him so long ago. He couldn't see anyone beyond these girls now, and for whatever reason, they were making him feel very nervous but he couldn't exactly peg why.

He formed his lips together to ask 'how' but in this state he couldn't even realize no sound was coming out. Dib was getting just too nervous.

With a cattish grin, Amanda leaned up against her shoulder on the wall. "You know what? I think Dibbers can. What do you think, Jennifer?" It was almost intimidating the way that none of them took their intense stares off of Dib's skittishly darting eyes.

"Oh, I think that would be perfect." Jennifer said, her smirk never leaving her face. She tried to look friendly, but still in control, it didn't work, at least, not the friendly part. "How about it Dibbly? Would you help us cheer up?"

Dib winced. These girls liked Zim. Surely it wouldn't be too bad. Maybe just give them Zim's number or something like that, in which he probably would give them a false number anyway. In any respect, these girls probably wouldn't let him go before he agreed and made them happy. _Where was Zim?_ Dib just sighed and nodded, making the girl's smiles go even brighter, if not just for a second.

"Hey, you know, there was something I've always wondered about Dibs, Jennifer." Stacey said, voice slightly pitched in the way people did when they were fake acting purposefully, making people pay attention and making them worry.

"Oh, and what's that, Stacey?" Jennifer asked, also putting on the fake acting voice.

"Well, I was wondering if what people said about Dib was true." Stacey said, motioning to his pants, making Dib wonder what people have been saying about his pants... or perhaps what was in his pants.

What had they said? What did they say? Dib wrung his head this way and that, trying to read such information off of the girl's look as he pushed himself even harder up against the rough brick wall.

"Jennifer," Faking a sweet voice, Amanda moved even closer. "I think that since the Dibble's is being so cooperative, we should find out," She and Stacy then grabbed either of Dib's arms, securing them, to Dib's fear, so he wouldn't be able to move. "But I'm sure that's just hear-say. I mean, after all, surely that isn't the case if he's going with _Zim,_ hm?"

"I guess we'll just have to take a look then." Jennifer sighed, faking an apologetic look at Dib. She then replaced it with a malicious look and put her hands on either side of Dib's hips, securing her thumbs on the belt loops.

This was too much! Dib withdrew a breath of air, his eyes growing large and white, lined with fear at what this girl could possibly be doing. He struggled frugally, while the fabric so snug against his waist got yanked down due to the fingers and hands at the most popular girl at school.

His pants, now to his knees, left him vulnerable. It seemed as if all of outside school had froze and gone quiet, the sky no longer even blue as his cotton zombie-printed boxers were exposed for all to see. The only thing Dib could seem to hear was his heart's strong pulse pounding in his ears.

Jennifer and her friends held back laughter at Dib's choice of underclothing and pulled them down slowly, teasingly.

Dib's eyes tightly went closed now as his legs frantically squirmed for protection on his boxers. This was torture! His underwear was going lower.. and lower... and lower to the point this was becoming unbearable. And so slow! He wanted to scream _stop_ and to get his boxers back up right this instant! Oh, where was _Zim?_ Where was he? He began quickly breathing in the heat of his blush.

Then, without warning, Jennifer yanked the zombie-print boxers down to rest with Dib's pants. After taking a short look the girls began to giggle frantically, putting a hand over their mouths or on their cheeks.

"Either it's true that Dib shaves down there or he's a really late bloomer!" Stacey howled, doubling over almost.

It took two seconds more for Amanda to break out laughing, backing away from Dib's free arms to put her hands to her face. "I can't believe it! I absolutely can't believe it!" She repeated again and again. "It's,- it's kind of cute! Zim still likes the kids!" She broke out laughing even harder.

Dib on the other hand, stood there feeling vulnerable, violated and petrified. His nose and eyes started heating up incredibly, and he kept his eyes close to prevent any liquid from escaping. In an instant, despite his sincere state of shock, he bent down and began his efforts to try and pull his pants back up.

"Oh Dibbling you're adorable!" Jennifer laughed hysterically, drawing attention to their molestation of the poor boy, causing other's around to laugh as well. "Tell me, does Zim _know_ how... underdeveloped you are or is he just a nice person!?"

Dib had to do all he could to prevent the tears from showing as he finally got his pants back up, but that didn't last for long. Amanda had snatched up his glasses, and with a grin tossed them to Stacey. "Answer the girl, Dibby!"

Stacy giggled and put the glasses on her nose, instantly becoming nauseated and taking them off.

Jennifer put a finger under Dib's chin to lift his chin, smiling and asking, "Well, what is it, Dibbles? Have you two done _it_ yet?"

The male finally opened his glossy, reddening eyes, unframed by his stolen glasses. He sniffled and stared at the girl. Her look was so fierce it could burn a hole into him, and although he was practically free to go, her eyes pinned him there.

It was then Dib just decided it didn't matter anymore. Of course, he always knew this sort of stuff didn't really matter, but that it just affected him and hurt his feelings, but that he should embrace it anyway, but now, now, after looking Jennifer straight in her evil, cunning little eyes, he just felt warn out again. His shoulders dropped, and he stopped sniffling. It occurred to him that everybody was like this girl here. She was tearing down something because she felt it was, not only in her power, but her responsibility being that she liked Zim's only, and best of friends of whom he happened to also be in love with.

Everybody was like her. Taking what they thought they deserved to take, and demolishing that they thought no longer need to stand. Dib was just the unfortunate useless appendage of the world. For him to be lost, it wouldn't even really matter. Who cared if everyone saw his stuff under his boxers in front of the whole school? They'll laugh about it, and make fun of him for sure, but as long as Dib didn't care about showing his stuff, it didn't really matter, right? Dib was just useless like that, to the point he could do that.

These people didn't matter though, either, or at least, not to Dib. They were never his friends, and the likely hood is, they'll never be his friends. They'd never stand up for him, and they'd only continue to try to put him down at any chance they got. Everybody like was like this. Everybody in the world, he even bet.

He had to get out. He had to belong. This was an impossible disease buzzing in his soul since birth that he's never gotten along and the beatings only got worse as he grew up. More and more people, more and more hits, more and more stunningly hateful words.

It shocked him that Zim still liked him despite everything like this. He was special; he didn't seem to want to kill him; and he was the only thing that made Dib feel like he belonged. Perhaps he did belong with just that, aliens.

"We're waiting for an answer!" Amanda snapped when she began getting nervous at Dib's apathetic look. The boy, however, just slowly shook his head.

Jennifer giggled and pushed Dib's head to the side. "I knew it. Not even Zim, as nice as he is, would want to go all the way with someone as pathetic as Dib. You here that? No one wants you, loser." Jennifer then stepped back, her girlfriends taking their places behind her, Stacey tossing Dib's glasses and Amanda tossing her hair back. "See you at lunch."

Dib just stood there, hearing their footsteps clicking away, and smelling the perfume slowly leave him before he finally let out a heavy breath and fell to the ground. He heard the school-bell ring but he didn't care. Perhaps he could just go back and stay at home today? It would be impossible without his glasses to pay attention to his teachers anyway, and it wasn't like Zim was there. He didn't show up at all this morning through that whole time those girls had harassed him.

He sighed and brought his hands back to his pants, pulling them all the way back to their normal state before leaning against the brick wall. People passed them in chatter, some of them giggling, but nobody really saw what happened, thankfully to Dib due to the girl's surrounding him.

Maybe Zim really didn't want him, though? Although he knew Jennifer was only saying that because she liked Zim and didn't like Dib, it was still highly possible, and made sense. Oh, and thus, he'd never _do it._ Nobody would want to do it with him anyway. Zim certainly hasn't. The way that the girls sounded was as though normal people would be doing it by now, but he was only fourteen!

That didn't keep him from feeling alone and stranded, however.

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Zim/Jennifer/Stacey: Me

Dib/Amanda: Kriss

Review!


	22. Chapter 22

Ok, chapter 22! Almost done.

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Zim ran quickly, hoping to make it to school before English class started. Knowing the human he would be so worried about Zim after what he'd told him the other night. He'd gotten caught up in talking with Miyuki. Apparently she had a plan and her special council of advisors were going over it as they spoke but wanted a little more information, so they spent a while trying to figure out what Miyuki needed and Zim looking it up on human databases. Mostly regional information, it wasn't hard to get to but took a while to.

He'd skidded to a halt a few feet away as he saw Dib rounding a corner, face down, looking extremely depressed.

"DIB!" He called to the human, waving a hand and running up to him.

The human stopped and brought his head up to see the moving green blur-of-a-face moving up closer. With a heavy heart of shame, Dib dropped his head once more to face the concrete rather than Zim. His hands on the fence bent and scratched a little of the brown paint.

Zim wasn't there. Zim wasn't there for him, and Dib couldn't blame him. While walking he had just figured that Zim had left him on Earth for outer space, but Dib had came to terms with it being that he was just Dib. So he kept walking, with full attentions to just pass by Zim and walk home.

"Dib, what's wrong?" Zim asked. He was sure Dib would be at least a little bit happier at seeing him, but he only seemed more depressed. "What happened to your glasses?"

Dib ignored Zim and just walked on more, refusing to look at Zim's amazing green blur. He wasn't meant to communicate; if he did, he'd still have his voice. Zim couldn't know. He couldn't know that those girl had yanked his pants down and found out he still hadn't hit puberty, thus lying to Zim by never telling him, then took his glasses. He couldn't see what happened to them after that, anyway.

Dib felt ugly and disgusting, and just wanted to get home.

"Dib?" Zim asked quietly, just watching as the boy walked past him and on a bit before following. His antennae were limp at the side of his head worriedly. Had he done something wrong? Was the boy, perhaps, mad at him for not getting to school sooner. "Dib, please, what's wrong?" Zim asked, catching up to the human and wrapping his arms around Dib's shoulders, hoping to make whatever he'd done up to Dib through those nuzzles and hugs he seemed to love so much.

Bringing his hands up to lightly tough the arms that bound him, keeping him still, Dib succumbed to Zim's sweet hold. He sighed, and leaned his back into the chest of Zim, nuzzling the side of Zim's face as his own.

Zim was so caring, even when he didn't have to be, at all.

He brought his hands up, and hoping his alien's eyes were opened, just signed that he was going home, and that was all.

"How come," Zim asked in a quiet and caring voice, resting his head on Dib's shoulder, placing a touch of the lips on his neck. It couldn't really be called a kiss, but it was meant as one just the same. He knew Dib needed it, his antennae twitched with Dib's sadness.

Dib closed his eyes, letting the warm tingles jilt down through his whole body. He let his hands talk more for himself. _"School sucks. Not going back. School sucks. School sucks. I will stay home."_

Zim hummed in thought. He shouldn't force Dib to go back to school with the invasion so close right? It wouldn't matter anyway, who cares about Earth's history when Earth was no more? But who knew when the armada would get here? For Zim it had taken six months, and though the Massive was faster he couldn't remember by how much. It could be months and with Dib not going to school, or Zim, suspicions could be raised.  


"Want to tell me what happened?" Zim asked a little worriedly. If those bullies had done anything he would be sure to kill them this time.

His human shook his head after a second of hesitation. He couldn't tell Zim about _that._ He felt so bad for not telling Zim to begin with! And those girls were right! In fact, he didn't even know why Zim currently had his arms around him, however nice it was, and however much he'd love to drink all of it in. _"I hate everybody. I don't want to go back. I don't matter. They don't matter. School doesn't matter. Only ZIM matters."_ He signed rather quickly to unleash his thoughts.

Zim's mind was slow to working out all that Dib had said, and his brows furrowed in confusion as it all sunk in.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "I mean, you're right about everyone else, and school, but, you do matter." He tilted his head a little so he was saying all of this onto Dib's neck, making sure he said all of this clearly. "You matter very much to me."

Dib felt his heart jump, but soon plunge at his lie to Zim. He was leading the alien on, and it wasn't right. Sure, maybe he meant something now to Zim, but in the end everybody from Earth was equally doomed, including himself. He wanted to feel more of Zim's caressing heat, but guiltily pushed away from Zim, lowering his head once more. Turning around, and letting his eyes stare only at the floor, he signed about how he sucks.

Zim pouted. He was completely content to just hold Dib and here the human had to go and pull away just to tell him a bunch of- a bunch of- well, shit. Just complete and total shit. Quickly he grabbed the human's hands and held them still and he stood to his full height, something that would, now, intimidate every irken in a room, but this was meant more of a signal to pay attention to Dib.

"Well," He said in response to this whole situation. "If it is, as you say, that ZIM in the only one that matters, then shouldn't it mean that only what I say is important?"

The young teenager guiltily glanced up at the green blur that was Zim's head. His feet shuffled around on the concrete nervously, and his heart picked up at the slight intimidation Zim presented his human with. He wasn't perfectly convinced, _with himself,_ but he still nodded, in show that he did view only Zim as important now.

"Well," He said, leaning down a little to press his lips to Dib's, but just barely, leaving him room to talk but still gripping Dib's hands so he could say nothing about any of this. "If that's the case then it should matter that I say you matter. Which I do say, because you matter very much to me. You make me feel things that I had never felt before coming to Earth."

Dib couldn't help but to softly smile in response. That made him feel important, whether he lied to Zim or not. He pushed back up against Zim's lips, stepping onto his toes to put in more force.

Zim kissed back, antennae twitching happily now, and though something still seemed to be troubling Dib he didn't press, it was up to Dib to tell him or not.

* * *

Dib had avoided school for a week, and so far his father and sister said nothing of it. He figured somehow they knew about what happened, and didn't want to speak to him anymore. Dib was fine with this. Everybody on Earth was like that, and he could deal with it just fine.

Wearing his new glasses that Zim had so kindly replicated for him using his alien machinery, Dib joyously took to walking to Zim's house. Zim was the most important thing in his life, and he wouldn't hesitate to visit him every day now. It was especially getting easier now that his alien hadn't been going to school for the past three days either. Without even a knock, Dib stepped into the alien's lair, giving him a large, sunshiny grin.

Zim had been expecting Dib, as the human usually came over around the same time every day, lunch time. "Hey!" He called from the kitchen before bounding over to Dib quickly, giving the human a hug. After what had happened a week or so ago he'd been extra cuddly with Dib, hoping to drag out of him what happened. Though Dib either never seemed to get the hint or just didn't care to tell the alien. But whatever it was Zim was almost completely in the dark about it. The day after that when he went to school that Jennifer girl had said something about being unable to believe how dorky Dib's underwear was, but that was all he'd gotten.

Dib, grinningly hugged back and gave Zim a quick peck before directing his alien to the couch, where he plopped down like a puppy dog, ready to lick and nuzzle his Zim. But, instead of licking and nuzzling Zim as many onlookers would think he would, he just sat there, smiling stupidly at Zim's lovely blood-red, liquidy eyes.

Zim sat down next to Dib as his human did, holding his arms out for hugs and kisses and back rubbing, giving Dib a curious look. What was he staring at?

In a moment, Dib practically pounced on Zim, knocked him back to the cushions of the couch, and smirked mischievously at him, now with his hands on the alien's chest, propping himself up, over him. It seemed Dib was feeling zestful today!

Zim laughed slightly, wrapping his arms around the human. He loved how the human was always so affectionate, and, in the last week, how found he enjoyed being just as affectionate. It made his heart swell wonderfully to touch the human, and be touched, and kiss and be kissed. It was even nice to just lean against each other as they watched TV, a task he usually hated, but made enjoyable by the human's presence.

Dib zealousness calmed down as he lowered himself down to lay on Zim's chest, heaving out a light sigh at the comfort the Irken gave him. He kissed his chest, and instantly regretted it.

Come to think about it, a lot of things they did together made him feel as though he was leading Zim on, and had been lying to him, but he tried not to let this thought envelope him as he smothered himself in Zim.

Zim sighed comfortably and hugged Dib close. He moved his hands a little to stroke Dib's sides. As he stroked he curiously moved Dib's shirt up a bit to feel his skin. Of course he knew what Dib's face felt like, soft, smooth, but he didn't know about the rest of him. Was Dib this soft everywhere? He had to know.

Dib's eyes slowly opened up wider. Although Zim had felt his sides before, it felt strange now that he was thinking about his lack-of-puberty. He tried to shrug the feeling of Zim's claws holding his skin firmly as they slid higher and higher and higher. With a lazy look, Dib propped himself up to try to read Zim's expression, to figure out if he was doing this purposefully or what.

Zim's face held a look of pleased curiosity. He WAS smooth all over. It was very cute and he liked the feel of Dib's skin, especially those little, barely there hairs humans seemed to have all over except where they shaved and stuff.

Goosebumps crawled over Dib's back and arms, prickling as well at the back of his neck at such touches, and _Zim's reactions _to his touching him, that soon his small little bumps greeted the tips of Zim's claws, giving him an even more intrigued look. Dib watched and his face soon flushed to a light red. Was he supposed to be doing this, too? But he didn't want Zim to discover that he still hadn't hit puberty.

But _Zim_ was feeling _him._ Dib felt obliged that he should get his feel of Zim as well, and thus, nervously moved his hands down to Zim's flat stomach, feeling around the bottom of his shirt, debating this even more.

Zim tilted his head a little as he traced each of the human's ribs, barely paying attention to what Dib himself was doing.

Holding his breath, which in exchange expanded his ribs for Zim, Dib lifted the bottom of Zim's shirt up slowly, and slowly, until it was up over his waist, now feeling Zim's green stomach. It was then he forgot all about Zim's claws when his eyes landed on something on the flat green skin below him. He ran his own, round human fingers over the area. Zim was lacking a bellybutton! This had his mouth going a little wide at this unique discovery!

Zim bit his lip to repress a giggle. Dib did not need to know he was ticklish, that could lead to disaster! But he let the human continue exploring, hoping he would leave that area of his body quickly as his own hands slowly traveled up, brushing against every inch of skin they could.

In no time, Dib's fingers had inched up further up to Zim's chest, letting his thumbs caress Zim on a spot that on any other human male, there'd be nipples but wasn't on this Irken. He stared intrigued, confused, and astounded down at Zim, wanted to ask him about such things, but not finding the words in his hands holding onto the alien's chest, still.

Zim mimicked the action on Dib. He already knew about nipples and navels, and was amused as Dib discovered the irkens' lack-there-of.

Dib stayed perfectly still for a good few seconds, letting Zim do what he wanted, while still staring down at his elegant green form. Then something occurred to him, and his eyes went wide open. Does this mean-

Dib quickly pulled himself off of Zim's hips so he could skim his hand down the alien's body to where his pants were. Without any modesty that not-too-long ago Dib was clinging onto, the human felt Zim up in between his legs, now staring him straight in the eyes with his newly found information.

Zim gave Dib a weird, confused, and surprised look. Never had he seen the human so bold! Of course, it wasn't like he needed to be embarrassed about anything Dib did down there.

It wasn't like there was anything to do anyway.

Dib continued his look of shock, and once his face went bright red enough, he pulled himself off of Zim entirely, and plopped down onto the couch, still stupefied by this new discovery. Surprisingly, to himself, he wasn't disgusted by Zim from this at all, repulsed, or anything like that. In fact, to Dib's disgruntle, this seemed to make Zim even _cooler._ Oh. And sexy... ...the way that Zim was just sprawled like that on the couch, shirt brought up to reveal his perfect torso unmarked by nipples and belly buttons, and his legs lazily thrown to each side in a relaxed manner. He was the epiphany of sexy.

"Dib, you ok?" Zim asked, sitting up and tilting his head to the side. Oh he hoped this didn't make Dib dislike him. He didn't think it would be a problem but Dib seemed positively shocked.

It took a good ten seconds of just staring, looking like a mindless zombie before the human could strike, pouncing back onto Zim and kissing him ferociously to show just how okay he was.

Zim 'mmf'ed in surprise, falling back down and taking a moment to get his bearings before kissing back. He put his hands on either side of Dib's face, holding his there in the kiss.

As Dib began getting his thoughts in control and began thinking about how lucky he was, and that his whole worrying-thing about what was in his pants was so trivial, a small beep began.

"Tallest Miyuki calling. Tallest Miyuki calling."

Zim gasped and sat back up, pushing Dib in to a sitting position as he quickly looked around in a panic.

"Hide, hide!" He yelled, motioning to a small hallway on the other side of the room. Oh this was not good!

Frantically, and confused, Dib pulled himself up and made for the hall, peeking out secretly to watch Zim try to get himself straightened up. How even _more_ amazing. He'd get to listen to _another_ Irken speak. He felt so lucky.

And then the transmition cut in.

"Invader Zim," Miyuki spoke gracefully, looking respectfully at Zim.

_Invader... That must be because he was the first on Earth, right?_ Dib thought stupidly to himself, still wearing a broad grin on his face.

"I've got some news." Her antennae rose expectedly to the Irken.

Zim, to his amazement, was able to hold back a grimace as she used his title. "News, My Tallest?" He asked hopefully, distracting himself with the thought of finally leaving this water covered nightmare.

"Yes. I'm proud to tell you that your mission is complete. We're coming to Earth. You'll be retrieved back to the massive, and we'll be putting our plan into action." She smiled. "Congratulations, Invader Zim. In a short few months, Earth will be conquered by the Irken race!"

Dib's face fell. It was bad enough he just heard that Zim was leaving, but now _his home was to be conquered?_ What was this about? Was- was Zim the bad guy now? He began panting from his little spot in the hall, straining his throat in the process, but he didn't care.

Zim's antennae twitched worriedly at the feeling of Dib's mood dropping not too far away.

"Thank you, My Tallest, um, and I have a request." He had to make this quick so he could go comfort Dib.

Miyuki gracefully laid her antennae back and let her eyes go half closed in content, to take in Zim's request. "Certainly. What would that be, Invader Zim?"

_Invader, invader, invader, invader._ Dib felt like an IDIOT! How couldn't he have seen it before? He did when Zim first became his nurse! Why couldn't he just stay the hell away from Zim? Stick to his original views of aliens? Dib stood up and gritted his teeth, unsure as to who he was upset at more; Zim, or himself.

"Yes, I-um, would like to bring an inhabitant of this planet with me when I leave." Zim said, hoping Miyuki wouldn't say the word 'pet' as he would have to say yes and Dib would most certainly take it the wrong way.

Dib just stood there, watching, unsure. He didn't know if he wanted to go with a murderer now. Instead, maybe he should stay on Earth and stay and die with his own people, like one of those captains on a sinking ship? That would suit him, right? Zim- Zim had betrayed him!

Miyuki blinked slowly and watched Zim further. "For what purpose?" She seemed a little confused. Other Irkens had their own pets of other species, for sure, but Zim never seemed the kind who'd do that. Maybe, instead, use another species in personal study, but that didn't seem to likely either seeing how his loyalties seemed to waver for this planet.

"Um, well, you know as aaaaaa," Zim trailed off, oh, what did he say so as not to disappoint both his Tallest and his best friend? "A-a project I'm working on." He decided on finally.

Giving a final puff of angry, and disappointed air, Dib ignored the fact that the transmition line was right there to march right through it, past Zim, and to his front door.

Miyuki just watched, and brought her eyes back to Zim, unsure as to how to make this out. "There was a creature here..."

Zim finally did grimace, nodding quickly.

"I-I must go detain him before he says something!" He said quickly, needing to go get Dib. "Please, uh, please think about it?"

Miyuki sighed in discontent at Zim's futile efforts at keeping his creature safe and secure. By the way the earthenoid was moving, it was feeling angry, not scared at all. Zim hadn't even tried to contain him to begin with, had he? "Fine. Do whatever you'd like, Invader Zim. I'll let you show me your creature when you get pulled back to the ship. I'll decide then, after meeting the creature, of course, and you can tell me what use they are, and why they're good to have around, project or not." She lowered her antennae once more. "Be careful what you tell me, Zim, because although I trust you as a responsible Irken for the cause, I know you and your personality, and you're off a beat." She warned, and waited expectantly for his salute.

Zim nodded quickly and saluted before running off, not even bothering to see if she was finished or not. He had to get to Dib quickly, not telling what was going through that hormonal teenager's head!

"Dib!" He called after the human, running in the direction of Dib's house and quickly catching up to him. "Dib please, wait, I can explain!"

Dib stopped in place, turning to face Zim with an angry tearful face. His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, feeling the betrayal sink so deep before turning back and making a run for it to home, trying frugally to outrun the alien so he could lock himself in his house.

Zim huffed and puffed as he ran, less from exhaustion and more from fear. He'd really messed up this time. He really really really messed up and he didn't know how he was going to make it right! He'd thought before about leaving Dib, or what he would do if Dib refused to go with him and none of those options appealed to him. In the end his mind always had him just taking Dib whether the human liked it or not. He just didn't know how he would live without the human anymore!

"Dib PLEASE!" He cried out, catching up to the human and grabbing him by the waist, tripping the both of them and causing them to fall forward.

The human made the smallest of noise, now scraped on his hands and cheek against the sidewalk while Zim stayed practically attached to his back. Dib grimaced, turning his head to the side, just enough to see the alien out of the peripheral view of his eye. He faced back to concrete, face red and ready to just go all out and yell at Zim, however much he couldn't.

* * *

Zim: Me

Dib/Miyuki: Kriss


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23. Not much to say here. Read and Review please!

* * *

With heavy breaths, Dib made for another attempt to get away, pulling his elbows forward to try to crawl out from beneath Zim, but Zim, being persistent, and bigger than he was, was not giving him much crawling space.

"Please, let me explain!" Zim begged, giving Dib a pleading look. "I didn't mean it like you think! I just- I just can't let the Tallest know! She can't know!" He buried his face in Dib's shoulder. "I need you but she can't know!"

Dib stopped struggling, stop moving to allow himself to stare at a small grain of rock on the ground. He just stayed there, unresponsive to Zim, which in exchange began making the alien feel a little antsy.

The angry, betrayed feelings that had tingled the tips of Zim's antennae fell to a solemn sadness. Dib wanted to cry.

His world was being _actually_ invaded now. He had no idea what would happen to his people, if they'd die or go into slavery. What's worse was he felt it was all his own fault. Once upon a time, Dib was aware that any day an alien could try to take over the world, but it would be his duty, and his duty alone with his luck, to defend the world from invasion and their conquest. The moment he made a friend, all suspicions went out of the window for Dib. They all became shrouded in a cloud of denial. He wanted to keep his friend at all costs, thus turned his head at the thought that his friend could ever possibly do him wrong.

'She can't know'? Dib bit his lip. It could be one of Zim's lies to make him trust him again. Maybe he was just an experiment or a project. At this thought, he struggled a little more, but gave up as quickly as he had started again. He felt more alone now than he had ever before, even without having any friends.

"Please, please come with me back to the base." Zim said, getting off the human but still keeping a strong hold on him. "I'll explain everything. My mission, the Tallest, my race... everything."

Dib turned his head to the side, resting his cheek comfortably against the sidewalk. He knew nothing he'd say would change the alien's mind, especially if he was just going to use Dib as an experiment. With a heavy sigh, he nodded in slight.

Zim gave Dib a thankful smile, getting up and helping the human up as well. He led Dib back to his base, looking down the whole time. Once there he first checked to make sure Miyuki had long hung up and led Dib back inside.

Once inside of Zim's humble home, Dib forcedly snatched his hand away from Zim's claws as if they were suddenly acid and burned. He marched his way to the couch alone, and sat down, sitting stiffly and keeping his eyes off of Zim. The angrier he looked, perhaps the easier he could divert his sadness off of himself and direct it as anger towards Zim. It didn't feel right, though; none of this did.

Zim looked, well, something a lot like a kicked puppy, antennae down, chin pointed at his chest, eyes, however, still locked firmly on Dib.

"Dib I...- I'm an invader." He announced, though he supposed Dib had already gathered that. "Irk is, well, it's like a military. There are soldiers, invaders, the elite, and the pilots in the armada. My job is to simply set up a base on my assigned planet, blend in with any sentient life-forms, and gather information to be sent and reviewed by the Tallest for conquest. Tallest Miyuki gave me this mission special. She planned this planet for me for ranking as one of the top invaders. Though this planet was easiest to infiltrate it was most dangerous because of the water."

Zim realized he was rambling and took a deep breath. "When I came here," He said, shaking his head. "I just wanted to get the job done and leave. I could have done it in weeks."

Dib dropped his head, letting some guilt seep into him without his realization. He glanced back to Zim, almost looking forgiving. _Almost._ He was still lied to, and his people were still endangered, and Zim's pitiful look wasn't going to stop that.

Zim paused a moment before going on. "I'm the only invader still out on their planet." He gauged Dib's reaction as he went on. "The last to conquer. That get's taken into account during the next great assigning though I guess I shouldn't care." He slowly moved over to sit next to Dib. "If I had told you anything about my mission and my Tallest found out she would have killed the both of us and a new invader would have taken my place. An invader who would have no feelings for any of the humans here... not like I have for you. He would be cold and ruthless and everything I used to be before I met I you."

Dib seemed to be faltering some more, his shoulders dropping before he slowly turned his body towards his alien. He let his hands to the speaking for him. _"What will happen to my world?"_ His hands glided gracefully to create each word.

"I don't know," Zim said honestly, shaking his head sadly. The fake hair that he had yet to pull off swished back and forth, almost like it was real. "It's not up to me, it's up to the Almighty One." He paused before adding, giving Dib a firm look, showing he was being dead honest, "But I don't care. The human race can burn in their religious Hell for all I care." He paused once more, but this time to hug onto Dib tight. "The only thing I care about is you. I need you to be with me."

Dib couldn't hug him. He wouldn't allow himself. He wouldn't let himself just unload heavy, hard-felt tears in his eyes. No, he had to be stronger than this. It shouldn't mean that every time Zim holds him, Dib should just give in and let his guard down in Zim's arms. He couldn't! He _couldn't!_But it's not like Zim could read his hands like this right now anyway, and he didn't want to push the alien away. He was faltering, though. But why? Why go through all of this? Didn't just earlier that week Dib himself tell him that nobody else mattered but Zim? Zim was saying this about him and- and the other people, there was something bad that was going to happen to them. He should care! He has every reason to care!

But why was he suddenly getting a sickeningly dark feeling of relief and joy as though he had just been rescued? And why was his hands crawling up Zim's back to latch back on? Yes, he was faltering.

Zim let himself a small smile in the midst of all this confusion.

"I can't let the Tallest find out I feel this way." Zim said quickly, nuzzling against Dib's cheek so his words were directed right to Dib's ear. "She might think I'm defective... and who knows, maybe I am, but she would surely put me on trial. She's already accused me a few times of being traitorous, though she has given me chances to redeem myself." Zim realized he was rambling slightly again and blushed a little. "Please come with me Dib... I get so lonely when you aren't with me. I didn't used to but you're like some kind of addictive candy. I've had you and now I need you. Irkens live a very long time and to be without you the rest of my life would be painful."

He pulled back just enough to look Dib in the face. "Please come with me still?"

Dib stared Zim long and hard in his searching look before dropping his head as well as his shoulders. He had no idea what he should do. Without answering, he just leaned forward to rest his forehead for a moment on Zim's shoulder. In a moment of desperately uncomfortable silence, he finally sighed, and pulled back his head as well as his hands. _"I hate people. But this feels wrong."_ Perhaps it was wrong. They weren't even the same species, and in his pasts' mindset, were enemies. _"Their blood will be on my hands_."

Zim sighed, looking down for a moment before bringing his hands up to brush his knuckles against the side of Dib's face, as he had seen people do on TV sometimes, and when passing the park on his way to work, it usually happened just before an, "I love you," and a kiss.

"I can... talk to Tallest Miyuki if you want. I'll see if I can do anything to make sure your people are kept alive, or at least most of them." Zim said, touching his forehead to Dib's. "It shouldn't be too hard, this planet isn't hospitable for irkens to live and humans seem to adapt to changes rather quickly. I'm sure Miyuki, at the very least, could use them for labor."

Dib gave a slow nod, looking down once more, then back up. That would be what people deserved, a part of him said. Everybody who had shoved him down under water for long enough would get what they deserve by being killed or used as labor. This just felt all too strange. He held his breath and leaned towards Zim's touch.

Or maybe this wasn't strange at all, but instead, destined? _"Nothing is wrong with you."_ Dib signed 'no' with his hands, elegantly. _"You're not broken."_

Zim smiled again and gazed at Dib... almost _lovingly_ with fake human eyes. He didn't know why he was so happy, so over-joyed that he wouldn't be alone anymore. He used to love his solitary quarters in training camp, but the thought of them now made him sick. He needed Dib to be with him, to fight off the cold in his tiny little ship in the blackness of space.

"Can I ask you something Dib?" Zim asked, pressing his lips to Dib's slightly.

Dib didn't press his lips back, just watched Zim, waiting for more words, more of those soothing words with that soothing voice poor out of his mouth.

"Can I ask you to stay with me forever?" Zim asked, moving his green lips against slightly pink lips, giving the human a pleading look. Oh, he felt like his chest would explode, and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad but no matter what Dib said his chest would be exploding, either leaving his heart shattered all over the floor and walls, or in Dib's capable hands.

His human allowed his eyes to shut, to drink in Zim's lips before taking them as his own in a slow kiss. He parted with a hurt smile. _"You would keep me if I said yes or no."_ He signed, knowingly while his confused emotions worked harder on him.

"Probably," Zim said truthfully, giving a kiss to the corner of Dib's mouth. "But I still want to know... if you'd want to. I-I really want you to want to. I want you to be happy because you make me happy and I-... Zim bit his bottom lip as he trailed off.

Dib shook his head and pulled away slightly, looking off. However nice everything Zim was saying now could still be lies. Dib did feel so lied to, even though it seemed the Irken had came clean. The affection was nice, but- but he was so scared of what this all meant. He didn't even seem to understand who Zim was anymore, all in a matter of a few seconds which now turned into a long moment of confusion and strange confession. _"First, tell me who you are." _He kept his eyes straight on Zim's making sure to read every ounce of emotion Zim would let seep through, purposefully or on accident.

Zim took a deep breath. Any other time he would have answered with a simple, "I am ZIM!" As if that would explain everything but he realized, in this instance at least, it would not.

He looked searchingly back as Dib, wondering what the human wanted from his answer, but he got nothing. Of course that was the point though, to answer honestly in order to allow the person to know your true self.

"I am," Zim began, averting his eyes now. He would never be able to say everything if he was watching Dib. "I am a deceiver... but never a liar. I will always be near you if you let me. I am a very loyal person... to you, but also to my empire, it's how I was programmed. I am tall, very tall. I would like to be your everything... like on those mushy girl shows my SIR downloaded. And... I am, yours... if you'll have me."

Zim brought his hands away from Dib's face finally, and pulled away enough to sign where Dib could see, looking straight at the human's face now. He brought up the last, smallest finger of his right hand, the rest of his fingers held tightly together. He then made both hands into a loose fist and crossed his arms over his chest before pointing a finger towards Dib. He leaned forward to press his lips to the human's once more in a feather light kiss.

Dib stopped him to, after holding it back, smile gently to his alien. He brought his hands up and slowly took the hairs of Zim's wig into his fingers, sliding it off of the green, alien head, and letting the Antennae come free. When it was off, he let it drop to the couch cushion behind Zim before reaching over to Zim's arms, and tugging off his gloves slowly to examine the green skin and claws underneath.

They were _so_ different.

His smile became a more serious one and he quirked his head to the side, now moving his lips along with the words his hands would form. _"How long is forever?"_

"I don't know." Zim admitted, smiling and bringing his hands back to Dib's face. They were slightly sweaty from the running and the nervousness and pleasantly cool against the human's slightly warm skin. "But I've heard it's a very, very long time."

Earth and its people be damned! The only one who ever cared for Dib this whole time was right in front of him offering what he desired the most. He didn't care! He said he wouldn't care before about the humans- but, he really didn't care! Not now! Not when Zim was smiling this way at him.

And suddenly, Dib pulled his arms around Zim in a tight hug, now disregarding the soft claws that were on his cheeks. In a voice that anybody else would mistake for a whisper, but Zim knew what it actually was, Dib spoke the word, "Forever."

Zim almost cried in delight as he hugged the human back tightly. His antennae twitched happily as he rocked Dib gently in a kind of soothing victory dance and his smile couldn't be wider! They would be together! Together forever!

All too quickly though his situation with the Tallest came to the front of his mind and he pulled away, gasping. "Dib!" He almost shrieked. "She wants to see you, talk to you, she might not let me keep you!"

The look on Dib's face almost dropped completely before it suddenly turned into a sarcastic grin. _"She?"_ He signed lazily before remembering. Then fear seemed to drench his senses. _"What do I need to do or say?"_ He shook his head at the last word he signed. _"Act?_"

"I-I don't know," Zim shook his head. How would the Tallest expect? Would she want Dib to behave, like a well trained pet, or would she expect him to rebel and cause a scene? Zim was close to panicking! He had convinced Dib but now he had to convince Miyuki without letting her know he- he had _defected_! Finally he made a decision and nodded his head to it. "Li-like a pet, I guess, I don't- I don't want you to have to, but it may be the only way to convince her. Lots of invaders take an inhabitant of the planet as a pet, so it shouldn't be too hard... I mean, if you don't mind."

Dib looked down to each of his hands, searchingly for them to say something. _"How?"_ He finally signed quickly, in no way knowing how an alien pet would act compared to a human's pet. Did he act affectionate? Did he come to baby talk?

"Like, just, you know, obedient, quiet, only respond when you're directly addressed, things like that." Zim said.

He once more leaned forward to hug the human, nuzzling his neck as he added, "Just remember that no matter what I have to say to the Tallest I care for you. You're the only thing that's important right now."

Dib nodded slowly, fearing his somehow messing this up. He soaked in Zim's hug once more before pulling away again. _"Is she nice? Will she like me? Does she like you?"_ All of these questions started coming to mind. Perhaps if he acted like the best human he could be, Earth would be spared? But 

perhaps he didn't want that. Perhaps, he just wanted to make sure he could stay with Zim? Even if he wasn't sure he could completely trust Zim right now, he still loved him, and he's still better than anybody here on Earth. He just hoped that the leader of Zim's race was accepting. He _really_ did.

Zim thought about Dib's questions. One could really debate the Tallest's affections for him sometimes, but, "I think she likes me... she doesn't NOT like me anyway. But I think she would like you and she's fair, so I think we have a good chance."

A sigh emerged from Dib's lips as he slipped back into the hug, thankful for that at least. If this wasn't stressful and new enough for him, Dib still had to go home and most likely he should _probably_ say something about this to his sister and father, whether they'd listen to him or not, he didn't know, but he had to try. This brought him to another question. _"When?"_

"I can't remember if she said or not." Zim said, rocking Dib a little bit. "But a few days at the most."

Most? That means that they could be here at any moment? Dib's eyes grew wide like quarters, pressing firmly into Zim and wondering if there was any last thing he could do for Earth. - Or any last thing he could do _on_ Earth.

Crickets began chirping outside, giving Dib a more-full feeling of insecurity, despite being in loving arms. Everything was happening too quickly, he didn't know what he could do.

Zim's antennae trembled with the emotions running around in Dib's mind's chemicals and he held onto Dib tighter in hopes of making them stop. "I know you're worried, but try to relax, I'll keep you safe... even if the Tallest won't let me."

The human shuddered, letting his hands curl up into fists on Zim's chest. He breathed in, trying to calm his senses, and in turn, got rewarded with Zim's smell. Zim smelt something of marshmallows and grape candies. He vaguely wondered if all of Irk would smell like this; but for now, he just took in Zim's smell, appreciating it and thinking subtly how lucky he was that he could smell Zim like this, despite the circumstances.

Zim rubbed Dib's back gently, nuzzling the hair in his face calmly. In truth though, he was terrified. He didn't want to become a rouge, a defect. He wanted to enjoy the luxury conquering a dangerous planet like Earth would get him, but he wanted it with Dib.

Dib placed a small kiss on Zim's chest, that he wasn't sure was noticed or not by the alien, and there they stayed like that, for hours, comfortably worryingly silently together.

* * *

Then the human had figured he had to go home and say goodbye. He walked into the door of his home and instantly recognized the sound of the TV running on pure, annoying, screaming songs on commercials. Gaz wasn't in the living room it seemed, and he had no clue if his father was even home.

He sighed and trekked his way upstairs to his sister's room where he knocked on the door before realizing that he had no way of saying any of these things to the girl. He shrugged it off.

Gaz opened the door to glare at her brother before giving him a considering look.

"What could possibly be so important that you take the time to knock on my door instead of barging in rudely?" She asked, soon glaring once more.

Dib shifted, unnervingly in his spot, looking down, ashamed at himself now. He took a deep breath and decided he'd try his best to speak to her. "Eh-nd uh-of w'o-o-ld. A-ay...l'ee-ahns." He held his pained throat, now coughing which seemed to make it worse. "L'ee-ee'v'ng. Bye." Then he just stood there, expectantly, and staring at the ground.

One of the girls thin, purple eye brows rose in curiosity and it took her brain a little while to decipher Dib's retarded way of talking.

"Aliens?" She grumbled, giving Dib an unimpressed look. "You mean Zim, right? Going to go into outer space with him?"

Dib quickly looked up to his sister, a little shocked, and eyes mirroring that shock clearly. He hesitantly gave a nod. Even knowing Zim was an alien, she couldn't do anything now, and if she could save Earth, more power to her.

"Have fun," She said simply, happy to be rid of her annoying brother. Not that she didn't love him, she just hated his obsessions with the paranormal get in the way of being a family. So she would lock herself in her room, playing video games and pretending he didn't exist, that she was an only child. Now it really could be just her and Dad. "You going to tell him?"

Dib's eyes fell back down to their feet and gave another, sure nod at this, and writhing under the look she was giving him.

"Are you coming back?" She was surprised to find herself asking this but played it off as simple curiosity with a shrug.

Dib had to shake his head, although he was genuinely unsure what would happen to him if Zim's leader said no for letting them stay together.

"Then good-bye, I guess." Gaz said, the thought of giving Dib a hug crossed her mind, but she kept her arms firmly crossed. She'd never been affectionate to him before, why start now?

After rubbing his arm, and keeping his eyes averted, he gave a wave of his hand and began walking away, hearing the door softly shut to his sister's room. That was a bit unusual as she usually slams the door.

He made his way downstairs and took a turn to go to his father's lab. He opened the door and peaked inside where he saw his father diligently writing formulas on a piece of paper. He timidly walked up to him, and when Dib felt ignored, he touched him lightly on the shoulder.

The scientist looked up from his work, and, happy to see his son down in the lab, put his pencil down to give the boy his full attention.

"Yes Son? What is it?" He asked in his ever excited voice.

Dib opened his mouth and then closed it, now taking the pencil that his father had just been using, and pulling over a new sheet of paper to write on it, despite Membrane staring right at him, expecting, stupidly, for him to speak.

Membrane watched as his son jotted down whatever he was thinking, growing more and more excited to see what it was. A chemical equation? Schematics to a new power generator!?

When Membrane finally peered over Dib's shoulder when he was done writing, what he read surprised him, but in a different way than he expected to be.

_Aliens exist._ Dib had written. _Earth is about to be taken over by aliens. You have to save Earth on your own, Dad. I believe in you. I am, however, leaving with one of the aliens; my best friend. This is goodbye. I love you, Dad._Dib stared sincerely from his spot to Membrane, hoping that the man's goggles would disappear so he could see his father's thoughts.

Membrane was confused. But instead of humoring Dib with his questions and concerns he simply shook his head and said, "Dib, I've told you before, there are no aliens. None that would bother coming to Earth anyway, with our lack of space compatible engineering."

Dib shook his head and looked down. His dad must thought he was stupid, didn't he? Or perhaps just insane? That's right; Earth was doomed.

He went back to the paper and underlined his goodbye.

Membrane resisted the urge to shake his head again and put his hand on Dib's shoulder, as if to also say, "Good-bye." Though he was certain he would see Dib sitting in front of the TV when he was done with his work in the lab, probably eating some Chinese food or burgers or something.

Timidly, Dib signed _"Thank you, Father",_ before moving in to timidly give the man an awkward hug that required minimal touching, just in fear of being rejected by his dad.

Membrane couldn't do much more than hug Dib back, though gently, as though scared of breaking him or something, but really just inexperienced with affection.

When Dib pulled away, he waved to the man for one final good-bye, however short Membrane thought it was, before turning around and leaving the Lab. All that there'd be left to do now is to gather his precious belongings and go.

Zim helped Dib pack the next day, putting all of Dib's most personal items in a safe place, where no one would find them, as slaves and pets didn't typically take those things with them. They packed just enough of Dib's clothes to fit in two suitcases and that was it. The rest of the day was spent cuddling and talking about the Massive.

* * *

THey be leaving! Review please!

Zim/Gaz/Membrane: Me

Dib: Kriss


	24. Chapter 24

CHapter 24. One moreeto go and we'll be done! That's right, just one.

Read and review!

* * *

Dib was currently laying on Zim's chest on Zim's ultra-soft Irken bed. His fingers curled and uncurled against his chest over and over again, lost in thought and admiration for how great of a feeling Zim seemed to give him when they were near each other. He had decided that he really did love Zim, and that even if he didn't go with him to space, he'd be even more heart broken about that then to have Earth taken over with his non-preventing actions.

Because through this all, at least he had Zim, which was more than he ever had through his whole life. He was sure he loved him, positive of it, even.

To lie like this on his body, with his surprisingly strong, slender alien arms around him, protecting him in a way only Zim could. It felt great; magical, and he didn't think he could give this up for the world, as he was proving, it seemed. If only Zim knew what powers he had over Dib with just a simple touch; it's what turned him into mush every time they hugged, and what made Dib want to always trust Zim.

Zim was the greatest creation any deity could have ever forged up.

Zim sighed. He'd received word while Dib was sleeping that they only had about two more days left on Earth. That was two more days to figure out a way to help his human's throat heal faster.

"Dib," He murmured, rubbing the human's back. "I have to get up and get to work."

Dib propped himself up on his elbows to stare curiously at Zim. He thought that Zim was done with working, and that's why the Massive was coming for them. He mouthed the word 'why' in response, not really wanting to lose any touch with the finished invader.

Zim brought his hands to Dib's neck, running a clawed thumb over Dib's throat as he said, "The medicine to help you heal, remember?"

Subconsciously, Dib brought his own hands over Zim's, to keep them there. Not a thought crossed his head that the Irken could just squeeze his throat, digging claws in to kill him instantly. No, he trusted Zim.

Dib now sighed at the thought of having to get off of Zim, but soon grinned to let excitement overflow his body once again. That's right, Zim was going to make a way for him to speak again! It was exciting, no matter what way you looked at it.

Quickly, he got off and moved to the side, though still kept his hold on Zim's hands.

Zim pulled himself up and stayed sitting a minute to place a kiss on Dib's throat, as if that would make it all better.

"We have to work quickly, we only have two days." Zim said before standing up, eyes locked with Dib's.

Dib's grin softened to a smile as he understood the seriousness in this. He gave a nod, and, not intending to leave Zim alone for a second now, (unless to bathe, in which Zim had been so kind to start duplicating water,) he stood and gave one last hug to Zim before clinging a hand onto his, ready for work.

Zim smiled and led the human to what Zim referred to as the, "Making stuff room." Where he made stuff. A lot of the stuff he made was some kind of weapon or deadly toxin, but this time he was here to heal and put his full concentration on that.

Dib shifted his glance all around in the room, exchanging his glances from one weapon to the next bottled chemical, wondering to himself why a single alien needed all of this on a planet. It was obvious, however, that Zim didn't need them, seeing how they all looked pretty un-touched aside from a collection of empty bottles that looked as though they had been stolen from the hospital that Zim use to work at.

They stopped at a table and Dib gingerly leaned over it, glancing at buttons and Irken writing and screens and holograms.

Zim began to play with a few of the buttons, seeming to be working out chemical equations but they were all in Irken and Zim was sure Dib couldn't yet read irken so he began to explain all that he was doing as he did it. He pointed out this fact and that fact as he went until he came up with something and set to work preparing it.

This all intrigued Dib, and fascinated him greatly. He felt a large bit of satisfaction from his childhood fantasies of aliens and futuristic devices surrounding him. With excitement, he reached how to grab a sphere that Zim had explained as being a tool to report the innards of bodies and mechanics for breaks of liquid. He squeezed it in his hand joyously and interested. He wound his head back to Zim to give him a warm, childish smile, flipping Zim's squiddly spooch secretly.

Zim laughed a little at how adorable Dib was, playing with his less dangerous equipment and began testing those chemical equations he'd worked out before. If he was correct actually making the mixture shouldn't be too hard, but it would have to be made every day for quite a period of time.

Dib just watched in fascination as Zim worked. Liquids mixed with liquids, powder mixed with powder, an instrument Zim had called the clodin let a sheet of light form over the ingredients and chemicals, changing their colors and form. Dib really was lucky. Soon he'd be able to speak, and he'll have a life-long friend. What fourteen year old boy could ask for more?

Zim worked for hours and once he thought he was done he put the chemical in a small chine which would set it and then analyze it, to make sure it was safe. Once that was done Zim was ready for snacks and cuddles. It was, after all, past lunch time and neither had even had breakfast.

"Pizza?" The alien asked, giving Dib a hopeful look, antennae perked up.

Dib bared his teeth in a great smile, and they went off to have pizza. Everything the two of them did was in effort to prolong the 'normalcy' that was their life before leaving Earth. After they'd leave for space, nobody could tell how things would turn out. It had two extremes, one extreme being Zim and Dib living happily ever after, drifting from star to star in a large ship of their own that Zim's retirement monies had bought. The other extreme could very easily be that not only would Zim not be allowed to keep Dib, Zim would be found out as a defect from having attachments to the human, while the human may very well be killed to teach the Irken a lesson first.

But they tried not to think of things like that. They'd prefer not to get their hopes up or to dwell. Either way, Dib's life would be taken away if he'd stay on Earth or would be taken away from Zim. But going with Zim was his best option; at least there _was _hope, however hard Dib tried to keep his mind clean of all thoughts on the future.

* * *

It was the next day, the last day they'd be able to stay together without change. They had this long to pretend nothing was going to happen.

Zim sighed as both of them laid on his couch, the rest of the base having been retracted already. They were watching some movie about a lost dog that had to find his way home but neither of them were paying attention. Zim was snuggled against Dib's back, nuzzling his neck and running his bare hands through soft hair. The irken cleaning formulas did wonders for the human, after having convinced him to try it. It cleansed him of what soap couldn't but left all the good, natural moisturizers in both his skin and hair, making both so touchably smooth the alien couldn't keep his hands off. He had the boy's shirt pulled up to his neck with one arm wrapped around his middle and running along his side while the other was resting on Dib's shoulder, allowing for the perfect angle to run through the black hair.

"Mmm," Zim hummed as he rubbed against the Dib like a cat, a content smile on his lips.

He was overbearing Dib with affection, not like the human cared about this in the least. It felt great; better than great- it felt wonderful to feel so needed and desired by anyone, nevertheless the one he really _needed _to have need him.

He turned his head to the side after a good thirty minutes of baring his neck for Zim, to instead nuzzle him back in appreciation. Their legs tangled together, and an overall nice warm feeling spread through them both.

Zim moved his head a little so his lips could meet Dib's in a kiss. His antennae tingled so pleasantly at the moment with love and content from them both. Giving affection seemed to keep the feeling from getting too maddening and he was more than happy to give.

"Mmm," He hummed when he pulled back from the kiss. "You taste like pizza." The alien laughed slightly. They hadn't eaten hardly anything else but the perfectly generated pizza his kitchen made. It had become something of a comfort food to them both.

Dib's smile only widened at Zim's soft, humorous words. He let his arms back to hold onto the back of his Irken's head, lightly stroking it like the Irken had been so kind to do all over himself. Nobody could deny how perfect it was for the two of them sitting on the couch at the moment. The TV's glow of blue light blanketed them both.

Zim's antennae instinctively perked forward, wanting another pair of black stalks to tangle with. Zim felt slightly sad that Dib did not have any, but kissed the human on the cheek in thanks. Dib was so attractive because he was not an irken, because he didn't have green skin or antennae. He was Dib, a pale human with an odd little scythe in his hair and Zim loved him for it.

"I love you," Dib gave out a horse, rough whisper with all his heart, closing his eyes softly in sweet, sweet warmth. He couldn't feel more protected in Zim's arms. It was pure and amazing and he couldn't wait to try to figure out how he could repay Zim for all of his selfless acts.

Zim smiled widely and gave Dib's cheek a nuzzle and another kiss as he whispered sweet words of love back.

They stayed like that for hours, but what felt like seconds until they fell into a comfortable sleep. Bad dreams would keep away from the content couple as they laid together, in each other's arms. The thing they had been avoiding thinking about, the armada, was far from their minds but not from Earth and the next day Zim awoke to the sound of a pounding on his door.

"Invader Zim," A voice from behind the door called, uncaring of any on-lookers nearby hearing.

A hiss breath drew into Dib's mouth as he stirred in his sleep, slowly waking from the noise and lack of warmth while Zim had began pulling up.

The pounding on the door only continued.

Zim walked over to the door quickly and opened it to see a much shorter irken before him, covered in armor and bearing a symbol on his chest, showing he was a royal guard. Zim couldn't help but feel honored that Miyuki would send one of her own guards to pick him up.

"Invader Zim," The shorter Irken closed his eyes and wiggled his antennae briefly. "I am Sniz. I was ordered here by the Almighty Tallest to bring you to the Massive. Are you ready? Do you have everything prepared for dispatching?" His pink eyes narrowed in all seriousness, to take in everything Zim would say into consideration, and committing it to his Pak's memory so he could get to work.

"Of course," Zim said with a nod, saluting a response. "All my belongings are in my ship, to be towed behind us, all except for my human who, as a precaution, will be riding with us."

"This is fine," Sniz responded calmly, glancing back at the boy peering curiously, and almost fearfully over the arm of the couch. "Get your human and let's be off. I'll put an order for your ship to be brought up, so do not worry, great Irken Zim." And with that he turned sharply and began marching off to Zim's mailbox where he held onto an invisible door, waiting for the two.

Dib wasn't sure how he should feel. He was ecstatic, excited, all the while, nervous and anxious and guilty he'd be leaving his planet's peoples, no matter how mean they were to him in the past.

Zim motioned Dib to him with a move of his arm and a bark, mouthing a quick apology after. He had to put on a show for Sniz, but it would not be easy.

Quickly, and on cue, Dib hopped up to his feet and quickly moved to Zim, keeping his head low in the respect he felt he should shed. He stood behind him, nervously and timidly.

Zim resisted the urge to hold Dib's hand as he led the human into the ship and sat himself down. It felt good to be back in a ship as he hadn't flown his since the first week he'd arrived on the planet. He sat tall with his head held high in a show of confidence. He had no doubts, he had no flaws, and he was a perfect invader. At least that was what he was telling Sniz with his body language.

Suddenly everything felt cold and metallic to Dib, who was now sitting on a spot near Zim, but not nearly as high, nor proud as him. He glanced out the window, feeling fortunate that they had a window at all, as well as a disgusting sick feeling boiling up from the pit of his stomach. Staring at the world for the last time was going to be hard.

Sniz, the Irken who had brought the two in stood in an attentive stance before turning towards the Irken at the control unit. "Pilot Kit, pull out and into the atmosphere."

"Yes Sir!"

And just like that, the invisible ship began hovering up off of the ground, urging Dib to throw up horribly. Making him want to put his hands on the window and wince at the site of his whole world transforming before from a house to a neighborhood to a whole city, then to a map. He shuddered with anxiety, forcing all three of the Irken's antennae to twitch in response.

Zim wanted nothing more at that moment than to take Dib into his arms and hold him tight, but tried not to let the others in on this by saying, "Such nervous creatures." As though talking about an insect.

Dib wilted like a plant. His stomach did a back flip.

"Yes, indeed," Sniz turned back to face Zim. "The Almighty Tallest told me to inform you that once we return to the Massive that you go straight to her headquarters, and that we will be taking your pet to be surveyed for Tallest Miyuki to decide what to do with it." He stood firm on his spot while eyeing the human ware fully letting his antennae twitch every so often before looking back to Zim.

Zim's own spooch made an odd gurgle in nervousness. "Her Almighty One does not want me present?" Zim asked, confused. He hadn't anticipated this. All he could do was hope Dib would be brave enough to handle this on his own.

Sniz blinked, not wanting to mention how he felt Zim falter on his own hyperawareness to the emotions, thanks to his pet. "Yes; this is what Tallest Miyuki has informed me to tell you. This and nothing else."

Zim resisted a sigh and nodded. "Very well," He said, swallowing his feelings. "If that's what she has ordered..."

Sniz nodded and turned away and to the front, suppressing a mumble about how overly-emotional humans were as Dib was currently panicking about being able to see the whole world in one glance now. He wasn't so sure about this now. He felt stranded, alone, abandoned. He felt an urge to cling back down 

to the Earth but he did nothing. He did nothing but waited.

"Sirs," The pilot called out, breaking them all out of their thoughts. "We're pulling into the massive now." And in just a moment, the windows darkened with the red of the ship's interior as the tiny ship got engulfed by the larger.

Zim let a wave of excitement pass through him. This was the closest he'd been to home in so long. He'd missed it, he had. But then he looked back at Dib and felt the urge to comfort once more, to abandon the cold technology and press himself against the warm human barely two feet next to him.

The machines hissed and hushed all around them. The tank-like door behind them closed down and the tiny carrying ship, as well as Zim's ship connected behind hit, hovered to a stop and finally landed. The door they had entered from opened up leaving them all now welcomed on board the ship.

"Right this way, Invader Zim," Sniz spoke importantly as he left the ship and snapped his claws, calling two more small, less-important guards over to them.

Zim followed, giving Dib one, last, apologetic look. This was the only way they could be safely together, and he was willing to risk it if Dib was. Turning back quickly he stood tall, drawing attention to himself and away from Dib.

Several surrounding Irkens gasped, and all of them stared. Zim was so very impressive with his height. If they didn't know any better, they'd say he was almost taller than the Tallest herself! He was so important now to them all, that some couldn't help but take a step back and bow.

Sniz made a signal to the two guards in the air, pointing to Zim's direction. They approached him and wiggled his antennae before he got completely out of their way so they could take the now moving human by his arms and begin to lead him away.

Everybody watched. What an amazing sight. He had brought a specimen, how amazing, and strange it was, too. Eyes darted from both beautifully intriguing sights. None of them seemed to notice the intense anxiety begging to flicker at their antennae thanks to the human being walked away from his Irken.

Dib glanced back then and again to Zim. He would have to go with them. It would be alright, he assured himself, but the feeling of departing from Zim in this world of aliens was so strange! He was so scared things wouldn't go right.

"Please follow me," Sniz turned once more and began walking towards a hall which would lead just the two of them to Miyuki's headquarters.

Zim followed, his stride stiff as he was led farther from his human and toward the Tallest's personal quarters. It was all so exciting, he could only hope Miyuki would be pleased with his human.

"Here you are, Sir." The guard, Sniz, finally stopped in front of a large, exaduratedly huge door. He punched in some irken numbers on a pad near the door before it finally opened for him. "I am not allowed to come in here with you. Just wait in here." He spoke calmly as if the lives of both Zim and his pet wasn't indirectly in danger.

Zim nodded and walked in, unable to help leaving his anxiety at the door as he looked in wonder all around the magnificent room. It was simple in design. For walls, a ceiling and floor, a few nooks here and there. But this was Tallest Miyuki's private quarters! Her ROOMS! The room he was in now was more of a lounge. A few couches were littered around here and there, chairs as well. There was a special food generator as well as dozens of cabinets of snacks and drinks. A large monitor took up a majority of one wall while other monitors were also placed over different walls. Instead of the normal, hard metal floor there was a plush carpet and everything looks so comfy and warm and wonderful and so forbidden that he HAD to run over to one couched and throw himself on it in a running jump!

This sort of happiness and excitement had not been kind enough to graze his human companion. In fact, he felt even more dread as the further they went into the hall. It got darker, and darker, and Dib could feel the grips of the Irkens tighten the more he got nervous, which in exchange only made him get even more nervous.

Finally they were walking into a new room; these rooms however seem vaguely like prison, although, instead of bars, there was nothing, as though the people inside each cell could just walk out any time they wanted to, but they didn't.

It sparked up Dib's imagination as he glanced down at them. They'd lift their heavy heads from their arms or legs and watch Dib as Dib watched them. Some had horns. Some had a mane of feelers. Some had hands on their heads. All of them intriguing him just as much as he was intriguing them.

But that feeling didn't last long when the Irkens holding him stopped in front of an empty cell. They punched in a code on the side of the cell before shoving Dib into it roughly, causing him to fall on his chest. They pressed more buttons and walked away, leaving Dib there to pant in silent fear.

Dib turned around and sat on his butt as he awaited his fate.

"Hello, Human." He heard a calm, beautiful voice. He quickly brought his head up to stare with wide eyes at an Irken even taller than Zim. She seemed.. majestic. Her eyes were sparkling and gorgeous with a mix between silver and a soft sky-blue, shimmering with intelligence and elegance. "You are Zim's project?"

Dib timidly stood up to behold her and gave her a soft nod.

"Come nearer, Human." She spoke softly.

As he stepped closer to her like she wanted, he noted how defined and beautifully curled her antennae were at the end, giving him the notion that all Irken's antennae were different, and not all like Zim's. It was kind of a comforting thought, and made him feel warmer about this tall Irken that he had completely forgot he had to impress.

She lifted her head and looked down inquisitively at Dib. "So, you were the human who ran across the room when I had informed Invader Zim that we were coming to get him." She stated softly, and hid a small smile that wanted to play onto her lips.

The human withdrew a breath and nodded, a little ashamed of his actions now since he knew Zim wanted him to seem like a pet.

"Did you know," She started, her voice still sounding so gracefully beautiful against the clammy air around them. "...Irk laws forbid Irkens to tell of their species and mission when they are undercover?"

Guilt pinged Dib, and Miyuki continued, her antennae twitching softly in response. "You are a strange one." She finally smiled, examining carefully his jet-black hair with its peculiar scythe, and his pale skin and old clothes. "You smell of Irken. Did you use cleansing chalk and meziik goo?"

* * *

It took a whole ten minutes before Miyuki finally entered her lounge. She stood tall and attentive, watching Zim gorge himself in her room. "Invader Zim?" She called, catching his attention immediately.

Zim was quick to right his appearance, stand, and salute with a wiggle of his antennae.

"It's so good to see you in person again, My Tallest." The slightly short irken said genuinely. It was one 

thing to talk to a tallest over a communication line. But up close and in person it was truly an honor. One Zim had missed from his training. "I take it you have met with my human?"

"Yes," She spoke calmly, masking herself of all emotions as she practically swooped passed Zim to sit on her couch. She patted the cushion next to her, staring at Zim expectedly. What an even greater honor!

Zim's eyes widened and he sat down next to her, though at a safe distance, not wanting to accidently scratch her armor or something.

"W-well?" He asked anxiously, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice. It was eating him alive this waiting!

"He was," She paused to give effect to her words. "Peculiar." And with just that, she started stroking one of her antennae with her rather long claw like an insect would to clean.

"Does... does that mean I can keep him?" Zim asked, his irken heart feeling as thought it was lifting out of his chest with a small glimmer of hope.

"I don't want to talk about that at the moment, Invader Zim." She spoke coolly, leaning back against the head of the couch. "Invader Zim, you're now second tallest and yet you're asking to have a 'pet' or 'project' like a smeet. You do realize this, yes?"

Zim blushed a little and looked from the Tallest to the floor. "No," He said, sounding amazed. "I-I didn't... second tallest? I had no idea."

"Zim, I would like you to answer some questions for me, please." She suddenly sounded a little intimidating although her voice was still so soft and comforting.

"Ok," Zim said, nodding and looking back at his leader, willing his feelings on the matter to pass for a moment so he could concentrate.

She let out a long breath, chilling the mood even more. "When you see me, what are the first thoughts that run through your mind?"

Zim didn't think this question very threatening. He felt what most irkens felt at the sight of Her Almighty Tallest. "Admiration, wonder, slightly intimidated..." He trailed off a moment before adding. "Guidance... friendship... maybe."

Tallest Miyuki calmly let out a hum. "And then, your human? The first thoughts you think of your human when you see him each time?" Her stare pinned down Zim, urging him to speak.

Zim couldn't help the wave of anxiety that washed over him at the question. "I-I don't know why I should feel anything when I see him." Zim tried, looking away.

"What do you feel?" Miyuki asked again, now seemingly in reply to Zim's statement, trying her best to pick at the Invader's mind.

Zim thought about this for a moment. Should he tell the Tallest the truth, should he lie to her? Or maybe a half lie?

"He's adorable." Zim said, biting his lip. "Like a space bunny, or a shlook or something. That's why I want him as a pet."

Miyuki blinked and considered this for a few seconds before staring down at the ground, shaking her head and sighing. "I don't want you, Zim, to lie to me. I'm disappointed in you, Zim." Her stare could have caused a fire on the carpet. "I know that you're a defect, Zim."

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Review please!

Zim: Me

Dib/Miyuki/Sniz: Kriss


	25. Chapter 25

Last chapter! It's been fun, and thanks to all of you who followed along!

Review please!

* * *

Zim looked back at Miyuki quickly with wide eyes.

"No!" Zim said, shaking his head. "I'm not, I'm really not!"

"_Zim._" She hissed and stood up to give him a firm look. "I've told you not to lie to you! I know that you're a defect." She turned her back on him, feeling his answer coursing through her like a poisonous insult. "I've known you were a defect when you were still in training." Her voice went back to its original calm state. "And this is why, I'm sure, you stayed on your planet for longer than you should have. You got attached. More specifically, your attachment for your 'pet' had prevented you from supporting your race with information."

Zim stood up as well, shaking his head. "I'm not a defect, I swear I-... I..." Zim stuttered. He couldn't let Miyuki or himself believe that.

"I _know,_ Zim," She turned around sharply to face him. "Because while in training in the routinely PAK check, there was something reported unusual about yours! I checked it out and recognized it as being a defect, but I didn't write it out as a deformity or a defect to anyone. I simply had them carry on as if it was nothing, Zim." She looked almost concern, but still strict and to the point. "Your human has strong emotions. These emotions can be picked up as vibrations to you, forcing you to feel them whether you want to or not." She explained, but she wasn't finished. "Because of your defect, your PAK accepts the vibrations and translates it as your own. This gives you more room to be emotional when others cant- being able to use different emotions that your PAK was suppose to block out. In essential, giving yourself more freewill by taking it away as well." She gracefully let out a long-clawed hand to brush against Zim's shoulder, prolonging the affect that she was still taller.

"Why?" Zim asked, a shiver going down his spine. "Why didn't you report it?" That was the first question to come to mind before an even disturbing one did. "The only reason I love Dib is because he loves me?"

The taller Irken lifted her other hand, letting those long elegant claws brush and hold his other shoulder as well. "It's the only thing I can think of that seems reasonable." She spoke clearly like glass, keeping her shimmering crystal eyes of a thousand depths locked on with Zim's redder, bloodier, blunter colored eyes.

"So... so I could just fall in love with anyone?" Zim asked, feeling lost despite the hands comfortably resting on his shoulders. "So long as someone in feeling love around me I could fall in love with them... just like that?" He snapped the classes on one hand in a show of just how fast 'that' could be. "What I have with the Dib doesn't mean anything?"

Miyuki laid her antennae back submissively in slight concern. "Does this waver your feelings now for your human?" She sat back down on the couch, pulling him down with her, if he wanted to sit or not, he was going to by her power.

"No," Zim said, shaking his head, his saddened gaze was trapped to the floor. How could he face his Tallest now with the knowledge that he was a defect. "I still feel very strongly for him. It feels like something is compressing on my chest painfully that I know he's probably very scared right now and there is nothing I can do for him."

She finally drew her claws away from Zim slowly to her lap where she diligently began tying them together, her own eyes set low. "I have a well-kept secret that I should tell you about, Second Tallest Zim." He glanced back over to Zim, still managing to hold her majestic feel about her.

Zim peeled his eyes from the plush carpet to the face of his beautiful leader. He wasn't sure he wanted to know this secret and have this wonderful sight ruined. But he would listen, be a pair of antennae when the Tallest needed.

"You see..." She drifted her words slowly, now staring at the large, blank monitor before them. "You and I, we have something in common. Your defect I left in purposefully for this reason; and you're not the only 

one. There are three others with this defect, as well.. Aside from myself." She cut him a sharp look that threatened if he say anything to anyone else, she would cut him up and feed him to their prisoners.

Zim's eyes widened but he got the message clearly. "You... my Tallest?" He asked. He thought it weird that he lost none of his respect for her. Indeed it seemed to only boost his respect! Being able to run an empire with a defect!

"This didn't just start with me," she intervened between his thoughts. "It's been this way dynasty after dynasty, each Tallest defected in this way, and prevailing others with this defect that they thought was capable. I was told this when I was Second Tallest, that I had been spared, and that Tallest Fint before me was spared by Tallest Lis, and so on." She turned her jaw to the side, seemingly chewing on her next words carefully while they were still in thought. "It seems the ones with the best growth suffer from this emotional defect- even if your own growth _was _artificial."

Zim looked down, ashamed of his 'cheating'. "I felt it could help all of irk." Zim excused, looking back up at Miyuki. "So what will happen now?"

"You keep this secret to yourself and never tell a soul. I've already told Scholar Spork of this, but I do not expect you to even whisper a sound to him." She stood, showing her almighty height. "Then you go off on your permanent vacation unless you prove needed for the Armada. This and I'll give you your human back to you, if you're still willing to accept him. How does this sound?" She smiled genuinely at him, having bitten back a smile since she first saw him again.

"Yes, of course! Thank you My Tallest!" Zim cried, leaping up to unceremoniously hug Miyuki tightly, being tall enough to grab her around the shoulders instead of her legs like before.

The female Irken's eyes widened in shock before she smiled even softer and returned the hug gingerly, not having been at all use to being hugged, nevertheless _hugged_ by another Irken. "Let's go get your human." She pulled from the ex-invader before she could give herself the chance to _really _hug him back.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Zim said, apologizing and saluting with his antennae before heading down to where he knew the brig to be, feeling Miyuki following close behind.

They walked together for a good ten minutes before reaching the prisoner bay, which was doing a good job at keeping all of the aliens in their place. She smiled at the entrance of the bay. "Yours will be the last one on the left." As he started to pull towards the door with a great smile on his face, she stopped him by a hold of his wrist. "Oh, and Zim?"

Zim turned back, a smile still on his face but he looked curious and was listening anyway, despite his excitement.

In a quick swoop, she pulled him into a hug much like he had her just ten minutes ago, allowing herself to press forth before pulling away once again. "Sorry for the news earlier."

Zim looked at the Tallest with wide eyes, shocked she had been so... affectionate. But he smiled once more and nodded, saying, "It's ok... I'm glad you told me." With that he pulled away to go see Dib. The guard waiting there unlooked the door and Zim didn't know whether to run up and hug Dib or put on a show for this lone irken.

Sharp, Irken laughter erupted from the back of the room. Something sounding very metallic slammed up against the wall from afar, and Zim and Miyuki could see two guards off in the distance slowly walking here and there, making sharp gestures hidden by cell walls.

And then he heard it; a small, shy, weak human cry.

Zim squinted, hoping he didn't hear what he thought he did. But, as his antennae twitched with the feelings coming off his human, he knew he had heard it.

"Dib?" He called, quickly making his way down the long haul to the cell of his human.

"Guards?!" Miyuki's voice trailed after him in a light chase behind Zim, upon coming closer to the small two guards inside of Dib's cell.

Droplets of scarlet red blood lay on the floor and smeers of the liquid painted Dib's hands and various spots on his covered body. Red Irken eyes darted from every curve of Dib's body, currently laying in a tight ball in the corner, before darting quickly back up to the two guards.

"Ah! Almighty Tallest," One of them coo'd with a smile, dropping a strange-performance gun to his side as if none of this had ever happened.

"What did you do!?" Zim cried, interrupting anything Her Almighty may have had to say or either of the other two irkens. In a flash Zim had one against the wall by his tiny throat, head making a sick, crunching noise as it hit the wall.

"Just scare him, I reassure you, Taller Zim!" The free one protested, now up to Zim's side before turning his head back. "Tallest Miyuki, this human was making threats out to us! We were scaring it to put it in its place. Get Zim off of him!"

Blue liquid ran down in wavy patterns down the wall and the guard croaked and pulled his small hands up to Zim's much larger claws.

"That's a LIE!" Zim yelled, slamming his partner up against the wall once more. "The Dib cannot speak! How could he threaten anyone!?" With that he threw the first irken to the ground and tackled the other, giving him a punch to the face.

They cried out in pain and anguish, all the while Miyuki pulled nearer and boomed her normally calm voice. "Stop it," she pleaded angrily, pulling at Zim's shoulder to try to peel him off although she knew the likelihood was the guards were lying. But it was as if he didn't even recognize she touched him and she pleaded some more, angrily.

The Irken thrown aside, now visibly dizzy from not only head damage but PAK damage as well, staggered towards Zim, throwing his weight on the much larger Irken beating his friend bloody.

Soon, the punches and clawing became too overwhelming for the small Irken on the ground and he balled up defensively like a turtle on its back, and brought his gun up as fast as he could, to smack Zim across the face.

Nothing anyone could do at that moment would pull Zim off as he continued to beat on the smaller irken. How DARE they touch the second tallest irken's pet! HOW DARE THEY!?

Everything seemed to be like a blur to the Irken. A punch, another punch. A claw mark here and there and there again and blue liquid quickly gushing out of tares he had created. Emotion, anger flooded throughout Zim's tall green form and glowered through his dangerous rose-colored eyes.

Everything seemed to be moving so slow, so hard to comprehend because nothing else mattered. He was soon getting beaten himself by a screaming injured Irken on his back, as well as a frightened one underneath him, wailing and smacking him with his gun. He could vaguely hear Miyuki promised she'd have them punished if he'd just _stop beating him,_ that she'd take care of it as she stood nearby the situation.

Trying not to stay a coward in the corner, Dib peeled his shaking hands from his face and stared before trying to crawl nearer to the situation, all the while being too intimidated by the guards to come into too close of a distance to them. Everything was happening so fast. He didn't even have the voice to warn Zim of the newer, stranger looking weapon coming from the claws of the Irken on his back.

With one hand the taller irken grabbed onto the gun the irken under him was holding, keeping it away from himself with his greater strength. He was too blinded by his anger at the two to notice anything else going on.

A shot fired from the gun. Then another. Miyuki had yelled and moved to a safer spot, still yelling at the lot of them to quit. Another weapon placed around Zim's throat. It was an Irken kizler, designed for cutting and shocking, baring now into the second tallest's throat. All the while the Irken on Zim's back pleaded to Miyuki that this wasn't hurting him, but making him sane.

This didn't stop her screams, or Dib's crawling forward.

Zim choked and pulled back enough to take the pressure off his neck. He used his other hand to keep the laser at bay while trying to push the other irken off of his back, steadily coming back to himself now that his own being was in danger.

Irken words flew around the room as the group became surrounded by more guards, this time by Miyuki's call. They yelled, but it was undecipherable to Zim; his pure anger reigning like a waterfall too loudly in his antennae to recognize anything else.

Now with the weapon to his throat, the claws on the gun had wavered, becoming an even more dangerous fight between the two.

Then another shot was heard, and everybody stopped dead in their tracks.

Zim froze. Sound rushing around him now as the pure horror of the Tallest falling was caught out of his peripheral vision. He wasn't sure what happened after that, but the weight on his back disappeared, as did the green shorter under him, and he feel on his side to the floor, completely stunned.

The almighty, benevolent Tallest Miyuki lay with her back arched on the floor; her PAK crushing against the hard ground. It was quiet as all eyes fixated themselves on her.

It seemed everything could be heard in the room. Every breath was a mountain of crashing noise when the sight of crystal blue liquid leaked steadily outlining the pod on her back and puddling up underneath her body. Sparks sizzled and flew from her chest, and her eyes were wide, as though still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Then in a rush of a second, everybody started talking rapidly, all at once so it sounded like the ocean creating a wave. Even other prison cells were booming with the talk from other species in shock.

Then things started to pick up in processes of steps. The guards called in medical workers, then separated all three of the Irkens that started this mess, including Zim, took the human away with Miyuki and dispatched, leaving the two original guards and Zim to stand in the cell and be questioned.

Zim sat, panicking in his corner, a hand on his face, breathing harsh. How could something like this have happened? When did things get life threatening?

"Will she be ok!?" He asked quickly to the guard who came over to question him, moving his hand to his slightly bleeding throat.

No answer came. They just asked again and again what happened.

"And then he started waving his hands at me, yelling and pushing forward! The prisoner was crazy. We were only doing what we had to." One of the bloodied guards spoke, but then eyed Zim. Both of the small guards were done for and they both knew it; they only hoped that they could get their 'punishment' before Zim had anything to do with it. "Then Zim and Miyuki came up and asked us what we were doing. Zim attacked. It was self defense."

"That's impossible!" Zim interrupted, yelling to make sure everyone understood. "He has scratches in his throat to prevent the air used for sound to escape properly! He would be coughing up blood right now if he'd have been yelling! The only way he can communicate is through sign!" He demonstrated 'sign' now as he talked, moving his index fingers upwards in alternating circular motions.

"It's a way for people on Earth who can't speak to communicate." He made the 'I' shape with his smallest claw and touched it to his palm followed by the letter 'a'. Both of his hands made the 'w' shape and pressed away from his body, parallel to each other and the index claw of his right hand touched his temple, pulling away. He formed the letter 'p' on both hands, rotating them like before, before putting one hand on top of the other and then he moved his thumb and closest thing to a middle finger to pinch his wrist. It amazed him slightly as he signed with his speech that the movements his hands were making seemed to grab the other irken's around him's attention more so than the yelling. It made him feel slightly foolish yet superior at the same time.

After watching him with slight uncertainly and secret admiration for both height and knowledge, everybody seemed to understand the situation better. Some guards just left without saying anything. It seemed clear that this wasn't so important now, but Miyuki's life was. This seemed to be tugging on everybody's minds but the guards who were suppose to be loyal but seemed to need a 'fix' in their programming.

"Let's get the three of you cleaned up." One of them grumbled full of authority, despite his short stature. And thus, he began walking off towards the exit. A guard nearby shoving at the two damaged guards to move them on.

"Where's my human?" Zim growled, grabbing the shoulder of one of the guards escorting him. "Take me to him first. I want to make sure those two _defective_ idiots didn't harm him too much."

The guard practically jumped at Zim's assertiveness and turned to face him and his startling height. "Of course. I'll lead you to him." And just like that the guard led him away from the 'two defective idiots' and towards what seemed to be Miyuki's room. Irken of all sizes gathered around the door, whispering and chanting their fears. However, they did not stop at that door, but the door before it.

Zim faltered for a moment, wanting to go check on Miyuki, but feeling a pull to Dib which made him quickly enter the room, asking in quick English and sign, "Are you hurt?"

Brown irises locked onto red globes for a moment. The boy in the strange hospital comforters and bed sat up slowly and just stared some more. He looked something of a lost puppy or a dear surrounded by hunters. In a slow movement that he was sure wouldn't give him a dizzy spell, the human steadily shook his head to put Zim more at ease.

"Are you sure?" Zim asked, quickly crossing the room with long legs to check and see. "Everyone seems to finally get that you can't speak right now... I'm so sorry for leaving you in that position."

Dib wanted so much to reach up and pull Zim into a hug, allowing them to comfort one another, but settled simply on reaching a hand out to grab Zim's wrist to let him know he was okay for the most part. He wouldn't want anybody peeking in and seeing them to really be affectionate. He was a pet right now.

Zim sighed and nodded, showing he got the message. He fidgeted a little, hearing the voices outside before asking, "Dib... I don't want to leave you alone again but... would you mind if I went to see the Tallest? It's my fault she's hurt... and I need to make sure she's alright."

Dib held Zim still with a desperate look and signed. _"Am I yours?"_ As if he would only let go of Zim with his eyes if he answered.

"Of course," Zim said and signed, showing just how much Dib was his by saying it out loud where just any on looker could here. "You'll always be mine."

Appeased by this answer, Dib let out a great loving smile and nodded, seemingly telling Zim that things were better now. And they were, for the both of them, it felt like.

Zim smiled and backed out of the room before turning to quickly shoved his way through the crowd, dripping blood on the heads of smallers who quickly parted for him and his superior height.

It certainly was a sight when Zim had finally ran through the crowd and into the room. The Lady Miyuki was laying on her side. Wires and machines were attached to her PAK and doctors with masks and medical supplies working on her chest. Her protective armor, which didn't seem to supply much protection, had vanished at the wills of the technitioner and doctors working on her.

But she was white. This Irken who was so green and full of passion and elegance now looked as white as human snow. She looked elegant still, sure, but in more of a porcline doll way. She seemed breakable. For the first time in Irken history, the great, benevolent Miyuki looked breakable and pathetic. ...And beautiful.

Her eyes which had faded into a fainter silver with barely any blue in it unless you digged deep to find them, landed on Zim in the threshold of the room. She wasn't breathing.

"Miyuki..." Zim said weakly, titles and ceremony gone. She was not just his Tallest, his leader, but his friend. She'd been there for him like any friend would, protected him, boosted him up, and provided guidance. It was his friend lying there on that table, not his leader. He was not concerned for the welfare of the empire, he was certain that would be taken care of in time, but concerned for the life of the only person who would dare befriend the short invader in training. He needed her, he knew that now. He needed her almost as much as he needed Dib, and even almost was a lot when measuring anything by the human.

"Her PAK is shutting down!" A technisioner supplied to the medics, scrambling around like wild fooshvord.

Her gaze, though, seemed to magnetize Zim, beckoning him to please come forward, although she didn't have the strength to move anything in her body. They were falling half-lidded.

Zim, as though hypnotized, moved to Miyuki's side, dodging medics scrambling to save her life. "Miyuki..." He said again, once kneeling before her.

Her eyes run all over Zim's features, and then softly, the corner of her lips on either side tugged upward with the last bit of strength she had.

"Almighty Tallest Miyuki is... ...dead." The technician announced drullfully.

An eerie silence filled the void of the room. The Irkens that had gathered by the door dropped to a dead silence as well.

Zim's eyes widened and he froze, not daring to move or say anything, knowing it would be something too emotional to display. Instead he clenched his eyes shut and forced all of his emotions to the back of his head.

Slowly he stood, and it felt as though everyone who could see was looking at him, which was probably the case, but he wasn't paying attention. He knew, Miyuki had said before that he was the second tallest irken in the entire empire, and though he knew it nothing seemed to be registering. What did it mean, he kept asking to himself in his head, what did any of this mean, what was going to happen now... now that Miyuki was dead?

Unable to mourn in any way had its advantages. A PAK was designed to feel attachment to a Tallest, and an obligation to all those who were taller. They were programmed in such a way that the typical Irken could not feel said, but would feel angry instead, making the Irken species one of the most feared strategic species in the known universe. After somebody of such importance would be turned off or die, a 

PAK was suppose to register that it was a great loss for their owner's race, and a huge failure. It was known to be something similar to sadness but not quite sad. Irkens were still vicious and strategic, and was built and designed in such a way that if such a loss did happen, they would carry on without skipping a beat. This was important in case of war, they could lose no time in such trivial, painful, humiliating emotions such as sadness.

But they were all so aware.

And thus, their eyes now stuck to Zim. A medic finally spoke up. "Orders, Tallest Zim?"

Zim just stood there for a while, staring at the ground. Tallest Zim. That was right... he was tallest now that Miyuki wasn't tallest anymore because she was...

He looked back up at the doctor, as though just seeing him for the first time. "Make the usual preparations for a Tallest. Take her pak to the control brains. Prepare her body for the ceremony." He said calmly. Irkens were not given funerals when they died, as their bodies were only important in that they were how they moved. If the control brains could, they would just replace the whole race with robots, but biological bodies moved so much easier and were just better in the long run as they created less junk. When an irken did finally die their bodies would be made into a biological substance that could be used for many things, plant growth, medicine, fuel, things like that. The Tallests were the only ones that got special treatment, but that only amounted to everyone getting to watch your body burn.

Without even waiting for confirmation on his orders Zim left the room, giving a wave of his hand to tell everyone they should disperse before disappearing into Dib's room.

"Zim," Dib whispered to the best of his ability, trying to get use to his new voice however slow the healing process was, and how it still hurt. He looked concern, and worry flagged in his eyes as he watched Zim's strange behavior as he entered.

Zim shut the door slowly behind himself and moved over to a chair to sit next to Dib's bed.

"You'll never guess what," He said, doing his best to sound excited. This was, after all, every irken's dream.

Dib signed and faintly whispered "What," plainly, still observing his owner with careful eyes.

"I'm Tallest," Zim said with a small, hysterical sounding laugh. "Miyuki, she- and now I'm- the whole Empire is-..." He could barely make a complete sentence, to shocked and upset and lost.

Dib watched on with complete amazement and confusion, though not smiling for a second. There was something wrong here, something so very, horribly, terribly wrong.

There was something hidden behind his glossy jelly-filled eyes that made Dib's heart lurch. He reached out a hand and touched the long sleeve of Zim's uniform.

Zim quickly put his hand on top of Dib's and laid his hand down on it, doing his best to keep his emotions in check until he could be somewhere much more private where he could break down without being caught.

The two held their eyes on each other for a long time. Watching each other carefully and secretly communicating just like this, although no information was given through the glances.

Pushing himself up higher on the bed, Dib reached out with his other hand, this time on a bloody gash on Zim's throat. The blue of his blood tingling against his skin like mints on a tongue or hand sanitizer.

Zim gave a small 'hmph' of pain as if just realizing that was there. He sat back up and put a hand to his throat gingerly. It stung, but not too badly.

"I should probably get this looked at huh?" He asked, though he had no more plans of leaving Dib. He needed the human there right now. He felt selfish, considering he wasn't there when Dib needed him, but he was still not going to leave.

Without another second to spare, Dib desperately pulled himself up to his knees and lunged for forward to Zim, pulling one arm around him, and removing his hand from the blue wound. With dry lips he put forth kisses all over it, trying so hard to make it better. Oh he wanted Zim to be better! For everything Zim had done for him, he wanted so much to fix any problem in his life. He would kiss the owy away.

Zim hugged onto Dib tight, burying his face in the boy's shoulder to prevent any tears from falling. He wanted to cry, he wanted to cry so bad for his lost friend, and he felt like he was betraying her by taking her title!

They held each other like this for five minutes straight. Dib wasn't going to let go. He was not ever going to let go until Zim was ready for him to let go. And he did eventually pull away to stare back at him.

The human brushed the back of his knuckles against the waxy green skin of the Irken, wondering, truly, what was going on through his head, but not speaking anything of it. If he wanted to say anything to Dib, he would.

"Tallest Zim?" Came a respectful voice from behind the door, making Zim quickly pull away to look. Just in time Zim detached from Dib as a much shorter irken came into the room, head bowed respectfully. "I was told I should show you to your room now. No doubt you've had a long day and need some rest. Shall I find a room for your pet as well?"

Zim just stared for a little bit, wondering what the shorter was talking about before remembering, oh right, he was tallest now, respected and feared and loved by everyone... and he would now have Miyuki's room. "No," He said, shaking his head. "Just prepare a place for my pet to sleep in my own room, thank you." Zim said, not that he had any plan of sleeping separate from his human for a long, long while yet.

The servant nodded and waited for Zim to stand, which he did and looked back at Dib, waiting for the human to move before he would do anything. He wanted to keep Dib close from now on.

Like a good little pet, Dib slid off of his bed and timidly hid behind the former invader, current Tallest's arm. His wounds had completely healed over thanks to Irken technology, but Zim was still wounded. It made him feel guilty. But just like that, they were leaving.

"This way, please." The shorter said with such respect it was almost like none of these people had ever made fun of him ever, like he'd always held such respect. Nervously he followed the short irken, making sure Dib was following him at the same time. He knew where Miyuki's- the Tallest's- room was though. It made him feel sick inside.

The closer they got the sicker he felt until they were right in front of the door and Zim wanted nothing more than to vomit out all of his organs.

"Here you go." The shorter said almost happily, punching in the code and showing Zim inside. The Tallest almost couldn't hold it in anymore at the sight.

The room that had once been a cool, blue color was now vibrant with reds and pinks the match his own colors. He had no doubt that the closets had replaced Miyuki's armor with armor for himself already as well.

The short Irken quietly left and closed the door behind once the Tallest and his pet human had stepped inside. It was almost dizzying to them both, especially to Zim. Dib, however, couldn't help but take a hold of Zim's claws to steady down both of their minds. He quirked his head up to Zim, reading his eyes for everything they told.

"Dib," Zim said shakily, clutching the human's hand in his own and leading him to the bed, examining it. "This is wrong. This is so, so wrong. An hour ago this room was blue... she's dead ten minutes and it's red." His voice was brimming with the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes. The sadness, now that he couldn't be watched, hit him like a ton of bricks and he just couldn't believe that he was actually there!

Something hit Dib's stomach, making him feel a little sick at how quickly Irkens seemed to move along; all but Zim. It seemed that Zim was the only nonevil creature in the universe and it ached to see him in this sort of pain. He looked ahead, taking it all in with him.

"Irk," Zim groaned, voice cracking as he let himself fall onto the bed. "It's all my fault," He whimpered into the sheets. "I was too quick to get angry... she's dead cause I couldn't control myself."

Spikes went up Dib's spine, and he was quick to pull himself to the bed. He wouldn't have thought in a million years this was Zim's fault. It was because of Zim Dib was so safe! It was the guards fault, all of it! He shook Zim's shoulder as if to wake him up from a bad dream, to pull him away from the thought.

Zim turned a little to look up at Dib, letting a few of his tears fall. It wasn't fair! It just wasn't fair!

Dib shook his head. He didn't want to see Zim cry! He didn't want to see it at all! He was _never_ suppose to leak from those perfectly, odd shaped red eyes! Never!

He bent down and nuzzled the side of Zim's face with his own, trying desperately to make him stop and feel better, trying, trying, and trying.

Zim hugged the human tightly, nuzzling back as more tears fell. He needed Dib, he needed his human so much at the moment. He felt he would be in so much pain if Dib wasn't there with him, and he knew he would be.

But was that the defect talking? Did he only need Dib because the human loved him? Was that what made his irken equivalent to a heart ache when Dib wasn't around? Could this complex feeling he got when the human smiled really come down to something as simple as a defect.

"I love you Dib." Zim said quietly, trying the phrase out on his lips. It made them tingle and his cheeks tinge a slight blue color as his blood was pumped faster. Could such a reaction really come from a technological error in his pak?

Dib had clenched his eyes shut, taking in every bit of Zim into his arms as he could; every bit of his smell contrasting with his breaths. "I love you..." Dib whispered weakly; obviously speaking too much for the day, but he didn't care. "...Zim." The moment his name left Dib's lips, they brought a shiver up through the Tallest and buzzed lightly with a tingle to his Pak.

"Dib," Zim whimpered, hugging ever tighter, though he felt so weak. "I love you, I know I do... it can't just be a defect. It's real, I can feel it."

Dib, not having any real idea what he was talking about, but had just a light idea, nodded against his Irken. "Don't hurt okay?" He asked, although he knew it was futile and greedy of him to ask Zim not to grieve. He just hated seeing him like this.

Zim could only nod as he buried himself once more in Dib's warmth and smell. He took so much comfort in, but the most he could give back was a light pat on Dib's back for reassurance. The Tallest would be ok. He would be sad for a while, but he would be ok, and would be there for the human like the human was there for him.

Cameras flew in circles around the large mountain of flames in the center of a dome for all to see. The fire burned high and vigorously, roaring and begging for a subject to gnaw away at. Who was Zim to deny the flames of such important ceremonial duties? Not when the tall, snow-white body of Lady Miyuki was so close by on a hover bed.

Zim looked into the closed eyes of his leader one last time before she was lowered into the flames, which were quick to eat at the beautiful figure.

The new Tallest closed his eyes gently, saddened still by the loss, but no longer crying. She had been a great Tallest who left behind a legacy that he could never hope to accomplish in his one lifetime, but for her he would try. He would be the best Tallest he could be, for her, and for Dib.

* * *

Review please!

Zim: Me

Dib/Guards/Miyuki: Kriss


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